Louis Leo Holtz (born on January 6, 1937 in
Follansbee, West Virginia) is an author, television commentator, motivational
speaker, and former NCAA football head coach. Holtz
is the only coach in NCAA history to lead six different programs to bowl games and the only coach to guide four different
programs to final top 20 rankings. He is also a multiple winner of Coach of the Year honors. After growing up in East Liverpool, Ohio and graduating from East
Liverpool High School, Holtz attended Kent State University. He was a
member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity, played football, and graduated in 1959. Over the
years, the slender, bespectacled Holtz has become known for his quick wit and ability to inspire players. In 2005 Holtz joined
ESPN as a college football analyst. On April 21, 2007, Holtz made an appearance as an honorary head
coach, along with Ara Parseghian, for Notre Dame's annual Blue-Gold Game, a yearly
intra-squad scrimmage that marks the end of spring football practice for the Irish. Holtz guided the Gold team to a 10-6
victory.[1]
Early career
Holtz began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 1960 at the University of
Iowa where he received his Master's degree. From there, he made stops as an assistant at William & Mary (1961-63),
Connecticut (1964-65), South Carolina (1966-67), and Ohio State (1968). The Buckeyes won the national championship during Holtz's
season in Columbus.
William & Mary
Holtz's first job as head coach was at William & Mary, then
playing in the Southern Conference, starting in 1969. In 1970, the Holtz-led Tribe won the Southern Conference title and played in the Tangerine Bowl. As of 2007, it was the only bowl game a William & Mary team has ever played in.
(Since Holtz's tenure there, William & Mary dropped to Division I-AA.)
N.C. State
In 1972, Holtz moved to North Carolina State
University and had a 31-11-2 record in four seasons. His team played in four bowl games, winning two, losing one, and
tying one.
New York Jets
Holtz's lone foray into the professional ranks consisted of one season with the New York Jets in 1976. He resigned with one
game remaining in the season after going 3-10.
Arkansas
Holtz went to the University of Arkansas in 1977. In his seven years there, the Razorbacks compiled a 60-21-2 record and reached six bowl games. In his rookie
season with the Razorbacks, he led Arkansas to a berth in the Orange Bowl against
Oklahoma, coached by Arkansas alumnus Barry
Switzer. The Sooners were in position to win their third national championship in four seasons after top-ranked
Texas lost to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl earlier in the day. Holtz had
suspended his team's top two running backs for the Orange Bowl for disciplinary reasons. However, behind 205 yards rushing from
reserve running back Roland Sales, the Hogs defeated the Sooners 31-6. Holtz was dismissed following a 6-5 campaign in 1983.
Minnesota
-
Holtz accepted the head coach job at the University of Minnesota
before the 1984 season. The Golden Gophers had won only four games in the
previous two seasons but had a winning record in 1985 and were invited to the Independence
Bowl, where they defeated Clemson, 20-13. Holtz did not coach the Gophers in
that bowl game, as he had already accepted the head coaching position at Notre Dame. His contract included a "Notre Dame clause"
that allowed him to leave if the Notre Dame coaching job were to become available.
Notre Dame
In 1986, Holtz left Minnesota to take over the then-struggling Notre Dame
program and wasted no time turning it around. A taskmaster and strict disciplinarian, he got the players' attention right away at
their first team meeting upon his introduction. Although his 1986 squad posted an identical 5-6 mark that the 1985 edition had,
five of their six losses were by a combined total of 14 points. In the season finale against archrival Southern Cal, the Irish
overcame a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit and pulled out a 38-37 win over the stunned Trojans. In his second season, Holtz led
the Fighting Irish to an appearance in the Cotton Bowl, where the Irish lost to Texas A&M, 35-10. The following year, Notre
Dame won all 11 of their regular season games and defeated third-ranked West
Virginia 34-21 in the Fiesta Bowl, claiming the national championship. The 1989 squad
also won their first 11 games (and in the process set a school record with a 23-game winning streak) and remained in the #1 spot
all season until losing to Miami in the season finale. A 21-6 win over Colorado in the Orange Bowl gave the Irish a second-place
ranking in the final standings as well as back-to-back 12-win seasons for the first time in school history. Holtz's 1993 Irish
team ended the season with an 11-1 record and ranked second in the final AP poll. Although the Florida State Seminoles were
defeated by the Irish in a battle of unbeatens during the regular season and both teams had only 1 loss at season's end, FSU was
voted national champion in the final 1993 AP and Coaches poll. Between 1988 and 1993, Holtz's teams posted an overall 64-9-1
docket. He also took the Irish to bowl games for nine consecutive seasons, still a Notre Dame record.
First retirement
Holtz left Notre Dame after the 1996 season and walked away from a lifetime contract for
undisclosed reasons. When pressed, all he would say was that "it was the right thing to do." It is widely believed that concerns
about his wife's health after she was diagnosed with throat cancer prompted him to step down.[citation needed] Holtz himself indicated that he did
not wish to move past Knute Rockne in career victories at Notre Dame (his overall record at
Notre Dame was 100-30-2).[citation needed] He was succeeded by defensive coordinator Bob Davie.
In 1996, two members of the Minnesota Vikings's ownership board, Wheelock Whitney and Jane Dyer, reportedly contacted Lou
Holtz. They wanted to bring Holtz in to replace Dennis Green.[2] Of the rumors surrounding the reasons for Holtz's retirement, one of them
was the possible Vikings head coaching position.[3]
South Carolina
After two seasons as a commentator for CBS Sports, Holtz came out of retirement in 1999 and
returned to South Carolina, where he had been an assistant in the 1960s. Holtz
was famous for quickly rebuilding teams, but the South Carolina program had fallen to the worst level in its history. The year
before Holtz arrived, the Gamecocks went 1-10, so Holtz was faced with possibly the greatest challenge of his coaching career.
When the team went 0-11 during Holtz' first season, people around Columbia
started to say things like, "If Holtz can't rebuild the Gamecocks, nobody can."
During the off-season, Holtz campaigned for a "change in attitude," and the results were astounding. In his second season, the
Gamecocks went 8-4, winning the Outback Bowl over heavily favored Ohio State. The
eight-game improvement from the previous year was the best in the nation in 2000 and the third best single season turnaround in
NCAA history.[4] In his third season, Holtz continued to
confound the naysayers, leading the Gamecocks to a 9-3 record and another Outback Bowl victory over Ohio State. The nine wins for
the season were the second highest total in the history of the program. It would also be the pinnacle for Holtz at South
Carolina.
Despite successful recruiting efforts, the following two seasons ended with 5-7 records. Speculation began to circulate that
the favoritism Holtz had shown toward certain players, particularly the troubled Derek Watson, poisoned the locker room.
Discipline deteriorated, and the Gamecocks did not play up to its talent level.
Before his sixth and final season, Holtz tried to rally his players by letting them select their all-black uniforms. The
ominous-looking Gamecocks turned in a dark 6-5 record, but it was the 11th game that demonstrated how Holtz had lost control of
his team.
Second retirement
On November 18, 2004, Holtz announced that he would retire
at the end of the season. His wife, Beth, had been struggling with her health for a number of years, and it was apparent that
Holtz was worn out. Unfortunately, on November 21, 2004, the South Carolina-Clemson brawl took place during Holtz' last regular season game. Instead of
ending his career at a post-season bowl game, which was expected, the two universities announced that each would penalize their
respective football programs for their unsportsmanlike conduct by declining any
bowl game invitations. At his last press conference as South Carolina's coach, Holtz said it was ironic that he and former Ohio
State coach Woody Hayes both would be remembered for "getting into a fight at the Clemson
game" (referring to an incident at the 1978 Gator Bowl where Hayes punched a Clemson player in the neck after making an
interception). Holtz also alluded to his assistance in recruiting his successor, Steve
Spurrier.
Firsts at South Carolina under Coach Holtz
- Winning two consecutive New Year's Day Bowl games (2001, 2002 Outback Bowls)
- Finishing with top 20 national rankings for two straight years (19th in 2000 and 13th in 2001)
- Ranked in the national polls for an entire season (2001)
- The most victories in consecutive seasons (17 from 2000-01)
- Record-setting home attendance (82,614 average in 2001 and 82,138 in 2002)
- Most national television appearances in a three-year period (18)
- Most players (11) to sign NFL contracts in one season (2002 and again in 2003)
- Back-to-back top 10 rated recruiting classes (2002, 2003)
Books
Holtz is the author of five books.
- The Fighting Spirit: A Championship Season at Notre Dame (co-written with John Heisler), Random House, 1991. (ISBN
0-671-67673-3)
- Winning Every Day, Collins, 1998 (ISBN 0-887-30904-6)
- A Teen's Game Plan for Life, Sorin, 2002. (ISBN 1893732533)
- Wins, Losses, and Lessons, William Morrow, 2006. (ISBN 0-06-084080-3)
Broadcasting career
Holtz has worked for CBS Sports as a college football analyst and currently works in the same capacity for the cable network
ESPN. His main duty is to provide analysis for College Gameday Final.
Personal life
Holtz was married to the former Beth Barcus on July 22, 1961. They are parents of four children, three of whom are Notre Dame
graduates. Their eldest son, Skip, is currently head football coach at East Carolina University. Holtz is on the Catholic Advisory Board of the Ave Maria Mutual Funds, and gives motivational speeches. Coach Holtz is also a member at the
famed Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
Trivia
- The Lou Holtz/Upper Ohio Valley Hall of
Fame, located in East Liverpool, Ohio, houses Lou Holtz memorabilia, and serves as a charity fundraiser for area residents
and cultural development.
- Holtz attended Saint Aloysius School in East Liverpool, OH when he was a child. It was run by the Sisters of Notre Dame, who
played a recording of the Victory March every day during lunch and recess.[citation needed]
- Holtz had the names removed from the backs of the player's jerseys when he took over at Notre Dame, wanting to emphasize team
effort. Except for the 1988 Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M, names have not been included on Notre Dame's team jerseys ever
since.
- In 1966, Holtz made out a list of 108 goals to accomplish during his life. Among them were coaching at Notre Dame and winning
a national championship.[citation needed]
Coaching Record
References
- ^ http://www.uhnd.com/articles/2007/football/parseghian-and-holtz-to-coach-blue-gold-game/
- ^ Vikings' owners
divided on Holtz. Ron Lesko. Associated Press. November 19, 1996. copy hosted on southcoasttoday.com
- ^ VIKINGS'
GREEN SAYS HIS TEAM'S IN HUNT Lee Shappell. Arizona Republic
- ^ NCAA football records, p. 67.
External links
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