Legendary college football coach and analyst Lou Holtz, well-known for his outspoken Catholic faith and pro-life views, has died at the age of 89, leaving behind a legacy of athletic accomplishments and charitable works.
In a statement posted to Holtz’s X account on Wednesday, the Holtz family announced that he died on Wednesday, surrounded by family in Orlando, Florida. The news comes just over a month after reports surfaced that he was in hospice care.
In addition to highlighting his career and accomplishments as a college football coach, including winning the 1988 national championship as coach of the University of Notre Dame, Holtz’s family remembered his “enduring values of faith, family service, and an unwavering belief in the potential of others.”
“His influence extended far beyond the football field through the Holtz Charitable Foundation and the many players, colleagues, and communities shaped by his leadership,” the statement reads.
The Holtz family shared a link to his obituary published by the Ohio-based Dawson Funeral Home, which states that a visitation will take place at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the Notre Dame campus on March 15. A funeral mass will take place the following day, March 16, at 1 p.m., and will be available via livestream. Holtz will be buried at the nearby Cedar Grove Cemetery.
Although Holtz is best known for coaching Notre Dame’s football team from 1986 to 1996, his coaching career also included tenures at the College of William and Mary from 1969 to 1971, North Carolina State University from 1972 to 1975, the University of Arkansas from 1977 to 1983, the University of Minnesota from 1984 to 1985 and the University of South Carolina from 1999 to 2004. Holtz led all six teams he coached to bowl games.
In 2020, Holtz received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump.
“He grew up in poverty in a two-room cellar, but as Lou says, ‘I knew God and my family loved me, and their love was all the wealth I needed. That’s everything I needed. That’s all I wanted,’” Trump said during remarks at the ceremony bestowing the highest civilian honor on Holtz.
Holtz delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention in 2020, where he described the Democratic Party’s presidential ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as “the most radically pro-abortion campaign in history.” He referred to Biden, a pro-abortion Catholic, as one of several “Catholics in name only” who “abandon innocent lives.” The coach praised Trump’s pro-life record at the time by stating, “Nobody has been a stronger advocate for the unborn than President Trump.”
Holtz’s charitable endeavors included the Lou’s Lads Foundation, which seeks to ensure that “underprivileged students and legacies have access to the support they need to succeed” by providing them with scholarships. The Holtz’s Heroes Foundation partners with “the Bread of Life Drive, Meals with Muffet McGraw, and the Notre Dame Alumni Association” to establish a “global footprint in the fight against hunger.”
An initiative of the Holtz’s Heroes Foundation titled the Bobby Satterfield Fund seeks to help athletes and their families experiencing “financial strain, mental health hurdles, or physical ailments” such as “addiction” and “unforeseen job loss or illness.”
As explained by Notre Dame Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications in a statement reacting to Holtz’s reception of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the late football coach also worked to provide “attention and support to his hometown, alma mater, Catholic Charities, the Women’s Care Foundation, the Center for the Homeless in South Bend, and other worthy organizations through his charitable foundation.”
Holtz is survived by four children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Beth, with whom “he shared a life grounded in faith, devotion, and service.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: [email protected]
