Lou Holtz's love for Notre Dame was only eclipsed by his run of big-game dominance with the Irish

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Lou Holtz's love for Notre Dame was only eclipsed by his run of big-game dominance with the Irish originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Lou Holtz loved Notre Dame to a fault. 

If we are honest, then it wasn't a fault at all. That unapologetic passion as a coach and irrational – sometimes even cartoonish – stumping for Notre Dame as an ESPN analyst defined Holtz for multiple generations of college football fans. 

Holtz passed away on March 4. He was 89 years old. Holtz coached in the NFL for one season with the New York Jets (1976) and had college stints with William & Mary (1969-71), NC State (1972-75), Arkansas (1977-83), Minnesota (1984-85) and South Carolina (1999-2004). 

Yet it's that 11-year stint at Notre Dame from 1986-96 and time as an ESPN analyst we remember most. Holtz didn't back down from Miami coach Jimmy Johnson on the field or Ohio State coach Ryan Day off it. 

Holtz's faith, family and football philosophy still resonates in South Bend. It re-energized the program, and from 1988-93 the Irish were the most-visible program in college football. Can you still picture it? Holtz – wearing a navy blue hat with gold "ND" logo. The accompanying pullover jacket. The pre-game speeches. 

Respect: Lou Holtz's First Locker Room Speech #TBT ☘️ 🏈 pic.twitter.com/pn0yynl9VS

— Mendoza College of Business (@NDBusiness) July 13, 2017

Even if you didn't like Holtz, you still had to respect the game. 

Lou Holtz brought big game back to Notre Dame

Holtz took over at Notre Dame in 1986, one year after the Irish finished 5-6 in Gerry Faust's final season. That season ended with an embarrassing 58-7 loss to No. 4 Miami. The Irish were nowhere near a national championship-caliber program, and the big-game shine had worn off. 

Holtz was the right hire at the right time. He finished with a 100-32-2 record from 1986-96, but it went beyond the record. 

From 1988-93, he made the Irish the main attraction in college football. Notre Dame (64-9-1) had an .872 winning percentage in those six seasons, which would rank between Georgia (73-9, .890) and Ohio State (66-11, .857) the last six seasons. The Irish were an elite program, and the television deal with NBC started in 1991 during Holtz's tenure. 

Holtz’s track record in the big game is probably the most under-appreciated part of that coaching career. He finished 20-15-1 against top-10 teams and 12-8 against top-five teams.

For a comparison, Georgia’s Kirby Smart is 21-10 against top-10 teams and 10-7 against top-five teams and is generally considered the top coach in college football today.

Holtz was that good. Zero in on that six-year stretch from 1988-93 again. Notre Dame had a 17-4-1 record against top-10 teams and 11-2 against top-five teams in that stretch. 

MORE: Way-too-early Top 25 consensus for 2026 has Notre Dame at No. 6

Lou Holtz vs. top-five teams from 1988-93 

Look at that run again. It includes the infamous "Catholics vs. Convicts" in 1988, a 31-30 victory against No. 1 Miami that propelled the Irish's last national championship run. Three victories in regular-season No. 1-vs.-No. 2 "Game of the Century" situations; none more profound than the 31-24 victory against No. 1 Florida State on Nov. 13, 1993.  That should have been a national championship season, too. 

Four bowl victories against top-five teams, including the 39-28 victory against No. 3 Florida where Holtz motivated after a waiter teased him in a New Orleans restaurant and asked him the difference between Cheerios and Notre Dame. When Holtz didn't know, the response was, 'Cheerios belong in a bowl.' 

The Irish belonged in that bowl game — and they were the centerpiece of the big stage. If not for a controversial clipping call in the 1991 Orange Bowl during a punt return by Raghib Ismail or Desmond Howard's diving fourth-down catch the following season at Michigan Stadium – the Irish might have been perfect in those games. 

Holtz resigned after the 1996 season, and he closed his coaching career at South Carolina, where he compiled a 33-37 record from 1999-2004. 

Notre Dame has been chasing the Holtz era ever since. Marcus Freeman has built that momentum in the right direction, but he's 5-6 against top-10 teams and 1-3 against top-five teams. Freeman is getting closer to breaking that national championship drought. 

MORE: Marcus Freeman choosing ND over NFL is good for college sports

Lou Holtz's love for Notre Dame stood out

Holtz became a caricature of the coach during his tenure at ESPN, which was highly entertaining on ESPN's "College Football Final" with Rece Davis and Mark May. Holtz made you love – or hate – Notre Dame more, but it came from an honest place. 

Holtz was not shy about defending the Irish in the college football space. Sporting News interviewed Holtz in 2021, and when the question about whether Notre Dame needs to be a conference came up he interrupted the question. 

"I don't think they need to be and I don't think they ever will," Holtz told SN. "It goes all the way back to when Knute Rockne was coaching. They don't need to be in a conference they don't want to be in."

Holtz stood by his upbringing in East Liverpool, Ohio, professed his devout Catholic faith and defended his opinions. He didn't back down from those convictions, and often doubled-down when he would criticize another coach or program.  It came from an honest love for Notre Dame, which he maintained to the end of a college football life that was successful on and off the field. There was no fault in that – none at all. 

College football was made better for it. 

Lou Holtz coaching record at Notre Dame 

Here is a look at Lou Holtz's record at Notre Dame from 1986-96, including his record against top-25 teams, top-10 teams and top-five teams:  

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