Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Lou Holtz

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Lou Holtz made an impact.

Lou Holtz is a celebrated former American college football coach and television analyst. He boasts an impressive college head coaching record of 249–132–7, accumulated across six different universities: William & Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame, and South Carolina. He also briefly coached the New York Jets. Notably, his 1988 Notre Dame team achieved a perfect 12-0 season, culminating in a Fiesta Bowl victory and the consensus national championship. Holtz stands alone as the only college football coach to lead six separate programs to bowl games and guide four different programs to a final top 15 ranking.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1960: Graduate Assistant at Iowa

In 1960, Lou Holtz began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Iowa, where he also received his master's degree.

1961: Assistant at William & Mary

From 1961, Lou Holtz worked as an assistant at William & Mary.

1963: Assistant at William & Mary

Until 1963, Lou Holtz worked as an assistant at William & Mary.

1964: Assistant at Connecticut

From 1964, Lou Holtz worked as an assistant at Connecticut.

1965: Assistant at Connecticut

Until 1965, Lou Holtz worked as an assistant at Connecticut.

1966: Assistant at South Carolina

From 1966, Lou Holtz worked as an assistant at South Carolina.

1967: Assistant at South Carolina

Until 1967, Lou Holtz worked as an assistant at South Carolina.

1968: Assistant at Ohio State, winning a national championship

In 1968, Lou Holtz served as an assistant coach at Ohio State, where the team won a national championship.

1969: Head Coach at William & Mary

In 1969, Lou Holtz became the head football coach at the College of William & Mary.

1970: Southern Conference Title with William & Mary

In 1970, Lou Holtz led the William & Mary Indians to the Southern Conference title, securing a spot in the Tangerine Bowl.

1971: Coaching at William & Mary

In 1971, Lou Holtz was the head football coach at the College of William & Mary.

1972: Head Coach at North Carolina State University

In 1972, Lou Holtz became the head football coach at North Carolina State University.

1973: ACC Championship

In 1973, Lou Holtz's team at North Carolina State University won the ACC Championship.

1974: Top 10 Finish in Coaches Poll

In 1974, Lou Holtz's team at North Carolina State University achieved a final Top 10 finish in the Coaches Poll.

1975: Acceptance of Head Coach Position with New York Jets

Following the 1975 season, Lou Holtz accepted an offer to become the head coach of the NFL's New York Jets, leaving college football.

1975: Coaching at North Carolina State University

In 1975, Lou Holtz was the head football coach at North Carolina State University.

February 10, 1976: Appointment as Head Coach of New York Jets

On February 10, 1976, Lou Holtz was appointed as the head coach of the New York Jets, chosen over other candidates.

1976: Head Coach of the New York Jets

In 1976, Lou Holtz became the head football coach for the New York Jets.

1977: Head Coach at University of Arkansas

In 1977, Lou Holtz became the head coach at the University of Arkansas.

1978: Orange Bowl Victory Over Oklahoma

In 1978, Lou Holtz led Arkansas to a 31-6 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl, despite key player losses before the game.

1978: Tie in the Fiesta Bowl

In 1978, Lou Holtz led Arkansas to a 9-2-1 record, ending the season with a tie against UCLA in the Fiesta Bowl.

1979: SWC Championship

In 1979, Lou Holtz led Arkansas to a 10-2 record and a share of the SWC championship.

1979: Declining the Ohio State Job

In 1979, Lou Holtz was considered a leading candidate to replace Woody Hayes at Ohio State but declined the job.

1980: Hall of Fame Classic win

In 1980, Lou Holtz's team had a 7-5 record, beating Tulane in the Hall of Fame Classic.

1981: Loss in the Gator Bowl

In 1981, Lou Holtz's team finished with an 8-4 record after losing to North Carolina in the Gator Bowl.

1982: Bluebonnet Bowl Victory

In 1982, Lou Holtz and his team finished with a 9-2-1 record after a Bluebonnet Bowl victory over Florida.

1983: Dismissal from Arkansas

In 1983, Lou Holtz was dismissed from his position at Arkansas, following a 6-5 season. Reasons for his dismissal include controversy over his political involvement through television advertisements.

1983: Coaching at the University of Arkansas

In 1983, Lou Holtz was the head football coach at the University of Arkansas.

1983: One Win vs. Rice

In 1983, before Lou Holtz joined, the Golden Gophers had only won one game vs. Rice.

1984: Head Coaching Job at University of Minnesota

Before the 1984 season, Lou Holtz accepted the head coaching job at the University of Minnesota.

1985: Coaching at the University of Minnesota

In 1985, Lou Holtz was the head football coach at the University of Minnesota.

1985: Independence Bowl victory

In 1985, Lou Holtz's team at Minnesota was invited to the Independence Bowl, where they defeated Clemson, 20-13. Holtz did not coach in the game, due to already accepting the Notre Dame position.

1985: 5-6 Mark

In 1985, the Notre Dame squad posted an identical 5-6 mark that the 1985 edition had, five of their six losses were by a combined total of 14 points

1986: Head Coach at the University of Notre Dame

In 1986, Lou Holtz became the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame.

1986: Taking Over Notre Dame

In 1986, Lou Holtz left Minnesota to take over the struggling Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program and removed names from the back of the players' jerseys.

1988: Overall Record

Between 1988 and 1993, Lou Holtz's teams posted an overall 64–9–1 record.

1988: Cotton Bowl Classic Appearance

In 1988, Lou Holtz led the Fighting Irish to an appearance in the Cotton Bowl Classic, where the Irish lost to the Texas A&M Aggies, 35–10.

1988: National Championship with Notre Dame

In 1988, Lou Holtz's Notre Dame team achieved a 12-0 record and won the Fiesta Bowl, securing the consensus national championship.

1989: National Championship Win

In 1989, Lou Holtz led Notre Dame to win all eleven of their regular season games and defeated the third-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers, 34–21, in the Fiesta Bowl, claiming the national championship.

1990: Rumors of Leaving Notre Dame

Following a 6-10 season in 1990, rumors circulated about Lou Holtz leaving Notre Dame for the NFL, with the Minnesota Vikings speculated to replace Jerry Burns with Holtz.

1991: Rumors of Leaving Notre Dame

Following an 8-8 showing in 1991, rumors circulated about Lou Holtz leaving Notre Dame for the NFL, with the Minnesota Vikings speculated to replace Jerry Burns with Holtz.

1993: Ended Season with 11-1 Record

In 1993, Lou Holtz's Irish team ended the season with an 11–1 record and ranked second in the final AP poll, although the Florida State Seminoles were voted national champion.

1994: Appearance on Coach

In 1994, Lou Holtz appeared in an episode of Coach, where the main character covertly travels to a nation under sanction from the United States in an attempt to sign a native who is an incredible place kicker, only to find Lou Holtz has beaten him to the punch, signing the kicker for Notre Dame.

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1996: Coaching at the University of Notre Dame

In 1996, Lou Holtz was the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame.

1996: Contacted by Minnesota Vikings

In 1996, two members of the Minnesota Vikings's ownership board contacted Lou Holtz about replacing Dennis Green, contributing to rumors surrounding his retirement from Notre Dame.

1999: Return to Coaching at South Carolina

After two seasons as a commentator for CBS Sports, Lou Holtz came out of retirement in 1999 and returned to the University of South Carolina as head coach.

1999: Head Coach at the University of South Carolina

In 1999, Lou Holtz became the head football coach at the University of South Carolina.

2000: Win versus Arkansas

In 2000, Lou Holtz coached South Carolina to a win versus Arkansas in Columbia, SC.

2000: Outback Bowl win

In 2000, Lou Holtz led South Carolina to an 8–4 record and a victory in the Outback Bowl over Ohio State. Holtz won National Coach of the Year honors from Football News and American Football Coaches Quarterly.

2001: Top 25 finishes

By 2001, USC had posted AP Top 25 finishes in 2000 and 2001 and had made consecutive New Year's Day bowls for the first time in its history.

2001: Another Outback Bowl win

In 2001, Lou Holtz led South Carolina to a 9–3 record and another Outback Bowl victory over Ohio State.

2002: 5-7 Campaign

In 2002, Lou Holtz's South Carolina team had a 5–7 campaign.

2003: 5-7 Campaign

In 2003, Lou Holtz's South Carolina team had another 5–7 campaign.

November 18, 2004: Holtz Announces Retirement

On November 18, 2004, Lou Holtz announced that he would retire from coaching at the end of the season.

November 20, 2004: Clemson – South Carolina Brawl

On November 20, 2004, during Lou Holtz's last regular season game, the Clemson – South Carolina brawl occurred. Both universities declined any bowl game invitations due to the unsportsmanlike conduct, ending Holtz's career without a post-season game.

2004: Final Season at South Carolina

In 2004, Lou Holtz finished his South Carolina coaching tenure with a 6–5 record.

2004: Coaching at the University of South Carolina

In 2004, Lou Holtz was the head football coach at the University of South Carolina.

2005: TV Analyst for ESPN

In 2005, Lou Holtz began working as a TV college football analyst for ESPN.

2005: NCAA Imposes Sanctions

In 2005, the NCAA placed the football program under Lou Holtz on three years probation for ten admitted violations, five of which were major. The violations involved improper tutoring, off-season workouts, and a lack of institutional control. No games were forfeited, and no television or postseason ban was imposed.

2008: Hitler Comment Controversy

In 2008, while appearing on College Football Live, Lou Holtz made a controversial on-air comment referencing Adolf Hitler in relation to Michigan Wolverines head coach Rich Rodriguez. He later apologized for the comment during halftime of a game between Clemson and Georgia Tech.

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