The sports world is mourning the loss of a true titan, as legendary college football coach and broadcaster Lou Holtz passed away on Wednesday, March 4, at the age of 89. Football maniac, Charles Barkley is usually rooting against Lou Holtz’s teams. But he had to acknowledge this true icon of the gridiron. This week, he opened The Steam Room podcast by taking a moment to appreciate the man who defined an era of grit at Notre Dame and wit on ESPN.

While Barkley admitted he didn’t know the coach intimately, his tribute highlighted the profound respect the coaching legend commanded across all sports. “So I want to give rest in peace to Coach Lou Holtz. I didn’t know him really, really well, but I met him quite a few times. Was a hell of a coach. Did a great job on television,” Barkley told Ernie Johnson.

Social media shy, Sir Charles usually starts off The Steam Room showing respect to those he’s close with or legendary sports figures. “Anytime somebody died you should give them their flowers, but Coach Holtz was a, obviously a hell of a coach, very quotable guy too. Great on television,” he said about his admiration for Holtz.

In fact, fans have often drawn parallels between Holtz’s witticisms and Chuckster’s unfiltered commentary. While Barkley is now on ESPN, a decade after it let go of Holtz from it college football coverage, he noted the legend’s longevity in the media after his storied career on the sidelines. 

“You know, most people know him as a coach; he did a hell of a job on television for ESPN all those years. So, rest in peace, Coach Holtz.”

While we’d never get to see these two larger-than-life talking heads in the same space now, Chuckster revealed a previously unknown encounter they had. And the lasting impression Lou Holtz left on the NBA legend.

Charles Barkley’s last meeting with Lou Holtz

Charles Barkley’s final memory of the coach was a tranquil one, recalling a chance encounter at the home of the Masters. “The last time I saw Coach Holtz was a few months ago. He was at Augusta National was just riding around. He wasn’t playing, he was just riding around,” Barkley recalled, prompting Johnson to agree that there isn’t a better place to spend an afternoon.

Maybe he’s referring to the time when football superstar, Peyton Manning invited Charles Barkley, Dwyane Wade, and Grant Hill for a multi-day golf trip a few months ago. Chuck spoke about that retreat on the podcast last year. If there’s one thing Chuck loves besides football, it’s golf. He was fawning over Manning for bringing him to Augusta. And it’s quite possible the winning quarterback created the setting for Chuck to meet one of his favorite coaches.

Manning and Holtz go way back. He had almost recruited the quarterback to Notre Dame but fatefully, Peyton went to Tennessee. Regardless, they maintained a lifelong friendship and frequently checked in on each other.

The Holtz family announced that the Hall of Famer passed away peacefully in Orlando, Florida, a month after entering hospice care. This peaceful image of Holtz at Augusta with Charles Barkley serves as a fitting final chapter for a man who spent his life in the high-pressure spotlight of Saturday afternoons.