Lou Holtz, the College football Hall of Fame coach who led Notre Dame to the 1988 national championship, winning 249 games in 33 seasons at six schools, has died. He was 89.
Notre Dame announced Wednesday that Holtz died in Orlando, Florida, surrounded by his family. Spokeswoman Katy Lonergan said the family has not provided a cause of death.
Holtz became the first and so far only coach to lead six different teams to bowl games during a career in which he compiled a record of 249-132-7. He still ranks 10th all-time in career wins by a Football Bowl Subdivision coach, and eighth all-time with 388 games coached.
At Notre Dame, he went 100-30-2 in eleven seasons, giving him both the third-highest win total in school history and the second-highest loss total.
Holtz won at every stop – except for a brief stint in the NFL.
He didn’t just win games either. The diminutive coach captivated fans with his sometimes fiery sideline behavior, self-deprecating humor and folksy statements, while demanding excellence from his much larger players both on and off the field.
Holtz became such a popular personality that after coaching his last game, in 2004 with South Carolina, he parlayed it into a broadcasting career and motivational speaking.
AP Sports Writer Michael Marot contributed to this report.
