Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman reflects on loss of Lou Holtz
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SOUTH BEND —Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman was among those paying his final respects to late predecessor Lou Holtz at the start of this week.
Asked to reflect on the experience of being surrounded by so many members of Notre Dame’s 1988 national champions, Freeman struck an appreciative tone.
“Monday was an opportunity to celebrate a life of a special individual, and that’s what every individual that came back was here to do,” he said Wednesday, March 18. “I remember sitting in the Basilica at Mass, and you’re hit with a whole bunch of emotions. Every person probably got hit differently, but to realize the impact that one person had on everybody in the Basilica was, ‘Wow.’ “
Holtz, who died March 4 at age 89, coached for 11 seasons at Notre Dame. His teams won 100 games from 1986-96, including a 22-15-1 mark against Top 10 opposition.
Freeman, 43-12 entering his fifth full season at the Irish helm, is 16-8 against ranked foes with a runner-up finish in the 2024 College Football Playoff.
“I’m grateful that I got a chance to be impacted by (Holtz),” Freeman said. “I didn’t get a chance to play for Coach Holtz. I didn’t get a chance to coach for Coach Holtz, but I did get the opportunity to be influenced by him. …
“To me, leadership is influence. And the greatest evaluation of a leader is how you lead during tough times. That’s who Coach Holtz was for me.”
Freeman has taken the Irish program so far, so fast, it’s easy for some to forget he started 0-3 as a head coach and then dropped three straight for a second time to start the 2025 calendar year.
Yet, after each crushing setback, including those against extreme underdogs Marshall and Northern Illinois, Freeman always knew he could count on one thing.
Wisdom from Holtz.
“During the toughest of times, every Sunday after a loss, I knew his call was coming,” Freeman said. “It wasn’t a magical message. He’d just always say, ‘I’ll give you my opinion, never any advice.’ But whatever he said in that moment is what I needed to hear.”
Early echoes of a glorious run
The Irish reeled off 13 straight wins after the NIU loss in 2024, then closed out last season with a 10-game winning streak. That’s the longest carryover span without a loss for the program since Holtz’s 1988 championship (12-0) that eventually became a 23-game winning streak the following year.
The 1988-89 unbeaten run lasted one day shy of 63 weeks.
By the time Notre Dame opens the 2026 season on Sept. 6, against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, the Irish will have gone 50 weeks (and counting) without a defeat.
“I’m grateful I had the opportunity to be influenced by Coach,” Freeman said. “And it’s special being around all those former players because I wouldn’t be standing here in a position that I’m in — and I’m talking about the position of head coach at Notre Dame.
“I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for every coach that came before me, if it wasn’t for those players that have come before us. Our football program is at a (solid) position because of all those guys.”
Holtz-era connections for the 2026 Irish include defensive end Bryce Young (Bryant’s son), tight end James Flanigan (Jim’s son); and wide receivers Jerome Bettis Jr. and Xavier Southall (Cornelius’ son).
In addition, Tim Brown Jr., son of the 1987 Heisman Trophy winner, works as a recruiting analyst, and newly hired linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary got his start as a graduate assistant for Holtz’s South Carolina teams in 2001-02.
“It’s so great when they come back because this is their home,” Freeman said. “I want them to always know that, and they know that. They hear it from me enough: ‘Come back because this is your home. You’re a part of Notre Dame football and this football program,’ and it was awesome to get a chance to see a lot of them.”
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman will miss Lou Holtz’s wisdom
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