Lou Holtz, college football coaching legend, in hospice care: reports

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FILE - Lou Holtz looks on during Jacksonville Jaguars Training Camp at TIAA Bank Field on July 29, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

College football coaching legend Lou Holtz has entered hospice care, according to multiple reports. 

Holtz, a Notre Dame icon and the only coach in NCAA history to lead six different teams to bowl games, is 89.

Holtz’s career

The backstory:

Holtz spent 34 years coaching both college and professional football teams, including the College of William & Mary, North Carolina State University, the University of Arkansas, the University of Minnesota, Notre Dame and the University of South Carolina.

He is perhaps best known for an 11-season stint as Notre Dame’s head coach. In 1988, he led the Irish to a perfect 12-0 season and a national championship. 

Holtz ended his career in South Carolina, where he was head coach for six seasons from 1999-2004. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

"Wherever Lou went, football glory followed," President Donald Trump said in 2020 when he gave Holtz the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. 

The legendary Lou Holtz | Great American Story

Legendary coach Lou Holtz joins The Great American Story to share life lessons from Notre Dame, his three rules for success, and his candid take on the future of college football. Don’t miss this inspiring talk on faith, family, and leadership.

In a December interview with FOX 10 Phoenix, Holtz shared deeply personal stories about his upbringing, the profound influence of his parents, and the coaches who steered him toward a path of greatness when he was just a "terrible student" with no intention of attending college.

Holtz’s life, politics

A West Virginia native, Holtz played his first football game at 9 years old, then went on to play in high school and college at Kent State before a knee injury ended his career. After graduating college, Holtz served as an officer in the U.S. Army, and then pursued what would become a legendary coaching career.

Holtz was among speakers at the 2020 Republican National Convention and received a Medal of Freedom from Trump the same year. In his remarks at the convention, Holtz called then-presidential candidate Joe Biden a Catholic "in name only," prompting a rebuke from Notre Dame for using the university’s name in his remarks.

What they're saying:

"He’s one of the greatest titans in American football history," Trump said during the Medal of Freedom ceremony. "And his towering reputation will endure forever in the chronicles of athletics, but more importantly, in the chronicles of life — because he’s really a life teacher. That’s what he is; he’s a life teacher. He teaches people how to live and how to live properly, and how to live with dignity."

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Trump highlighted Holtz’s inspirational story and motivational message, which he turned "into three best-selling books." 

"He’s also been an exceptional philanthropist," Trump said. "He’s opened educational opportunities for students, provided insulin pumps to diabetic children, and supported cancer research. And has traveled to 13 countries to visit the American troops. 

"Lou’s leadership and his faith and kindness have inspired and uplifted millions of fellow citizens," Trump continued.