Lou Holtz has established himself as one of the most successful college football coaches of all time.
He grew up in East Liverpool, Ohio, just up the Ohio River from where he was born in Follansbee, West Virginia. He graduated from East Liverpool High School, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in history from Kent State in 1959 and a Masters’ degree from Iowa in Arts and Education in 1961. He played linebacker at Kent State for two seasons before an injury ended his career. He went on to coach, provide national sports analysis, author books and has received numerous honorary doctorate degrees.
COACHING
Notable accomplishments include Lou Holtz is the only coach in college football history to: 1) Take 6 different teams to a bowl game. 2), Win 5 bowl games with different teams. 3) Have 4 different college teams ranked in the final Top 20 poll. And despite never inheriting a winning team, Coach Holtz compiled a 243-127-7 career record that ranked him 3rd in victories among active coaches and eighth in winning percentage.
A rich career coaching, Holtz became the 25th head coach of Notre Dame following two seasons at Minnesota (1984 to 85), seven at Arkansas (1977 to 83), four at North Carolina State (1972 to 75) and three at William & Mary (1969 to 71) where his coaching career began at the age of 32.
Before becoming head coach at William & Mary in 1969, Holtz served and worked under such respected coaches as Forest Evashevski at Iowa, at South Carolina and Woody Hayes at Ohio State.
NOTRE DAME
When Coach Holtz took over as Notre Dame’s 25th head football coach, he brought with him a proven reputation as a football fixer for programs following a series of his spectacular repair jobs at William & Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas and Minnesota.
Twenty-six seasons as a collegiate head coach earned Holtz a sterling reputation for turning pretenders
into contenders - for taking football programs and improving the programs 1-2 levels on their way to the top 20. And most impressively done at Notre Dame.
He enhanced that track record quickly, needing only two years to put the Fighting Irish back into a major
post-season bowl game for the first time in seven seasons. Holtz proved he could take the Irish back to
the ranks of college football’s elite and keep them there on a consistent basis.
He developed a well-earned reputation as an expert when it comes to knocking off highly ranked
opponents - that ability particularly well displayed in bowl games with team wins that ranked seventh or higher in the Associated Press poll. Holtz is the 2008 recipient of the Notre Dame Monogram Club’s highest honor, the Moose Krause Distinguished Service Award.
In 2008, Holtz was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and Notre Dame dedicated a statue of Lou.
SPORTS ANALYST
After his departure from Notre Dame following the 1996 season, Lou Holtz joined CBS Sports’ College Football Today for two seasons as a sports analyst
He was also a college football studio analyst on ESPN. He appeared on ESPN News, ESPN College GameDay programs, SportsCenter, and served as an on-site analyst for college football games. He is currently in his second year with SiriusXM Radio as a Co-Host for two sports programs; a
golf show broadcast throughout the year entitled, “Holtz In One,” two weekly college football shows
during season. His newest show is “The Crowd’s Line College Football Show with Lou Holtz and Mark
May”.
SPEAKER
For many years, Lou Holtz has been considered among the greatest speaking legends in America today.
He speaks on overcoming seemingly impossible challenges by setting your own goals and working to
achieve them. He has built a reputation as a motivator, a demanding disciplinarian, and someone who relishes challenges and hard work. All done in faith!
AUTHOR & MORE
Holtz has authored three New York Times best-selling books: The Fighting Spirit that chronicled Notre
Dame's 1988 championship season; Winning Everyday: A Game Plan for Success. His latest book, released in February 2019, is Three Rules for Living a Good Life: A Game Plan for After Graduation. Coach Holtz has also produced four highly acclaimed motivational videos: Do Right, Do Right II, If Enough People Care, and Do Right 20 Years Later.
In addition to his football success, Holtz has also been honored with numerous awards for his philanthropy. In 1996 he formed the Holtz Charitable Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization.
When mills and potteries began closing then in Lou and Beth’s hometown, more than half of the town was out of work. The foundation provides scholarships to trade schools for those impacted by the closings. In 1998, the Lou Holtz Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame opened in East Liverpool, Ohio and this hall was established to recognize accomplishments and contributions of men and women in all fields of endeavor in the Upper Ohio Valley. They provide scholarships to trade schools in the area.
Dec. 3, 2020 Lou was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to our society by the President of the United States.
PERSONAL
Holtz served as an officer in the U.S. Army. Married Beth Barcus of East Liverpool on July 22, 1961 until she passed June 30,2020. He has four children, 9 grandchildren, and he currently reside in Orlando, Florida.
