Legendary Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz‘s son took to social media in the hours after his father passed, which the family announced on Wednesday.
“I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers over the last couple months,” Skip Holtz wrote on X. “He was successful, but more important he was significant.”
Lou Holtz made others significant in the process. His coaching career began after playing football at Kent State, and he learned from another coaching legend, Woody Hayes, at Ohio State in 1968 when the Buckeyes won the national championship.
Holtz took his first head coaching job at William & Mary in 1969, and he moved on to Arkansas and Minnesota before he landed his dream job with the Fighting Irish. He restored the glory in South Bend as Notre Dame’s third-winningest coach with a national championship, two No. 2 final rankings, and nine Jan. 1 bowl game appearances.
Holtz coached one Heisman Trophy winner in wide receiver Tim Brown, who was among the many NFL players who came from Holtz’s tenure. Three of his players — Brown, running back Jerome Bettis, and defensive tackle Bryant Young — all made the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Holtz is remembered for his enduring values of faith, family, service, and an unwavering belief in the potential of others,” the Holtz family statement read. “His influence extended far beyond the football field through the Holtz Charitable Foundation and the many players, colleagues, and communities shaped by his leadership.”
Jerome Bettis Shares Heartfelt Lou Holtz Tribute
Bettis, who played for Holtz from 1990 to 1992, shared a long tribute via X on Wednesday.
“Coach was so much more than a football coach to me. He was family. I still remember the day he came to my house to recruit me. He didn’t just sit down and talk to me about football or what I could do on the field,” Bettis wrote. “He talked to me as a young man.”
“And he spoke to my mom the way a man should speak to a mother who was trusting someone with her son,” Bettis continued. “He looked her in the eye and promised that I would be taken care of at Notre Dame. That moment meant everything to us, and it’s something I’ve carried with me my entire life.”
Bettis went on to play for the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL until 2005. He returned to Notre Dame in 2022 to finish his business degree.
“Coach Holtz believed in people. He believed in building men, not just players,” Bettis wrote. “He welcomed my entire family into the Notre Dame family and always made sure we felt that love and support. That’s who he was. He cared deeply about the people around him, and he made every one of us feel like we mattered.”
Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman: ‘He Welcomed Me’
Current Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman recalled meeting Holtz in a tribute to the late coach.
“He welcomed me to the Notre Dame family immediately, offering me great support throughout our time together,” Freeman wrote in a statement on Wednesday. “Our relationship meant a lot to me as I admired the values he used to build the foundation of his coaching career: love, trust, and commitment.”
Lou Holtz’s Son Sends Heartfelt Message Amid Notre Dame Legend’s Passing