Notre Dame fans should be wary of the latest health updates regarding their legendary coach, Lou Holtz. Since the news broke, heartfelt messages of love and respect have been pouring in. An 11-year NFL veteran who visited the 89-year-old had a warm chat about Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman and shared his deep appreciation for this beloved icon. 

“Visited Coach Holtz yesterday at his home in FLA,” wrote Tim Grunhard. “Told him how much I love him, and thanked him for the opportunity to go to @NotreDame and play for @NDFootball. We spoke a bit about @Marcus_Freeman1and what a wonderful leader of men he is! Two great coaches, one great university!”

Tim Grunhard, an All-American center for Holtz’s 1988 championship team, had reached the pinnacle of college football. He is grateful to Holtz for mentoring him at Notre Dame. Coming from Chicago’s South Side, he was overlooked, but Holtz saw potential in the young offensive lineman and offered a scholarship. Grunhard accepted and, under Holtz, led the Fighting Irish to the 1988 national championship.

Holtz, who has battled significant health challenges throughout his life, is now in hospice care, according to his son. Kevin said the family remains focused on ensuring his comfort and spending time together. This news worried Grunhard, as Holtz still shares fond Notre Dame memories with his former player.

“My second favorite football game would be the game versus Colorado (1990) when they were number one, and we were number three,” recalled Grunhard in an interview with One Foot Down. “We had just gone ahead, and Holtz called the offensive line together. He told us, ‘We’re going to run the ball down the field and eat up the clock, and we’re going to win this game.’ And that’s exactly what we did.”

Holtz had some radical ideas to improve his squad. He had the names removed from the backs of the jerseys when he took over at South Bend, wanting to emphasize team effort. The improvements were steady as the years went by. His 1986 squad has the same 5–6 start that his 1985 team had. But what was different was that five of their six losses were only by a combined total of 14 points.

Then in the last game of that season against their archrival, the USC Trojans, Lou Holtz and his Notre Dame team overcame a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to pull out a stunning 38–37 win. All of this is to further emphasize his impact in South Bend even outside his perfect 1988 year.

Holtz’s influence also resonated with figures outside football, such as legendary broadcaster Dick Vitale, who drew inspiration from the coach during his own health battles. 

“Coach Holtz has inspired and motivated so many for years, including me during my battles with cancer,” wrote iconic broadcaster Dick Vitale. 

Grunhard reminisced with Holtz about Notre Dame. The visit clearly brought back fond memories for Grunhard, who has often spoken about Holtz’s mentorship.

Lou Holtz shared his lessons with Marcus Freeman

Holtz had a storied career with the Fighting Irish. He won 249 games in his coaching career. Of these, 100 wins came while he was at Notre Dame from 1986 to 1996. He was the one who clinched the 1988 National Championship with a 12-0 record and victory over West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.

Freeman has valued Notre Dame just as Holtz must have wanted. Holtz’s 1988 title squad had 11 recruits starting as sophomores, powering a 23-game win streak and a 7-1 mark versus AP top-five opponents from 1988-1990. Freeman sought to mirror that dominance by bringing in elite recruits like Bryce Young and Leonard Moore.

“I always told our players, all you do is change the address of your problems,” Holtz opened up about the transfer portal to Freeman. “You learn so much on an athletic field about teamwork, perseverance, and getting up when you get knocked down.”

Even in hospice, Lou Holtz was talking about Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman. Can Freeman deliver the first national championship since 1988 as the greatest gift to the legend?