College football legend and former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz has entered hospice care, a family source confirmed to ABC57 in Indiana.
Holtz, 89, is best known for leading Notre Dame from 1986 to 1996, a tenure highlighted by a national championship and multiple major bowl appearances. He later became a prominent college football analyst for ESPN.
In addition to his college success, Holtz briefly coached in the NFL, leading the New York Jets for 13 games during the 1977 season. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Lou Holtz in 2020.
Fox Sports announcer Tim Brando shared a heartfelt message on X after a Notre Dame reporter posted that Holtz had entered hospice care.
“Oh, at some point I think we all knew we’d be lucky to hold on to Lou and legends like him much longer,” Brando wrote. “So many we’ve looked up to — and many I had the honor and privilege of not only covering, but eventually working alongside — head to their next life of eternal glory.”
Brando added that his thoughts were with Holtz’s family, including his son, Skip Holtz, Skip’s wife Jen, and their extended family.
“His beloved wife Beth awaits,” Brando wrote. “Coach Holtz has always been a National Treasure.”
One of the most recognizable figures in college football history, Holtz spent nearly his entire career coaching at the sport’s highest level.
He played college football at Kent State before beginning his coaching career as an assistant in 1960. Holtz earned his first head coaching position in 1969 at William & Mary.
After later stops at NC State — where he spent four seasons in Raleigh — Holtz briefly ventured into the NFL. His tenure with the New York Jets during the 1977 season ended with a 3–10 record before he resigned.
Lou Holtz in 1995 while with Notre Dame.
“Lou Holtz is not made for professional football,” Holtz famously said at the time.
His brief NFL setback did not derail his coaching career. Holtz returned to the college ranks in 1977, taking over at Arkansas, where he spent seven seasons before a two-year stint at Minnesota.
In 1986, Holtz arrived in South Bend, Indiana, beginning an 11-year run as head coach of Notre Dame. He compiled a 100-30-2 record and led the Fighting Irish to a national championship in 1988 — the program’s most recent title.
Holtz departed Notre Dame following the 1996 season and transitioned into broadcasting before one final coaching stop at South Carolina. That tenure ended in 2004.
He finished his coaching career with an overall record of 249-132-7, including a 12-8-2 mark in bowl games.
