March 4 (UPI) — Lou Holtz, the legendary football coach who led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the 1988 national championship, has died.
Notre Dame announced Holtz’s death at the age of 89 on Wednesday.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Lou Holtz,” Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame football coach, said in a statement. “Lou’s impact at Notre Dame has gone well beyond the football field.”
Holtz coached the Fighting Irish for 11 seasons beginning in 1986. He coached the team to a 100-30-2 record and the last national championship in the history of the program. He also led the program to nine consecutive bowl games.
In total, Holtz accumulated 249 wins in the college game, beginning his career at William & Mary in 1969. He coached North Carolina State for four years beginning in 1972. The Wolfpack won the ACC Championship in 1973.
Holtz had a short tenure in the NFL, coaching the New York Jets for part of the 1976 season before resigning and returning to college football. He coached Arkansas beginning in 1977 and led the team to 60 wins. The Razorbacks scored an upset victory over Oklahoma in the 1978 Orange Bowl.
After resigning as Notre Dame’s coach in 1996, he later returned to the sidelines for the South Carolina Gamecocks. He coached South Carolina for six seasons.
In 2008, Holtz was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Holtz was born on Jan. 6, 1937, in Follansbee, W.V.
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