There are mixed feelings of concern and hope for Notre Dame’s legendary coach, Lou Holtz, whose health has significantly declined. After news broke that Holtz had entered hospice care, a close friend shared a message from his son, Skip Holtz, highlighting his well-known fighting spirit. This update provides a small ray of hope amid the somber news, emphasizing the resilience that defined Holtz’s storied career.

Notre Dame’s championship-winning coach, Lou Holtz, has entered hospice care at the age of 89. The specifics of Holtz’s illness remain unknown. National sportscaster Tim Brando talked to his son, Skip Holtz, about his father’s health condition. Though Brando didn’t share many personal details, he said that his son made it clear that “he’s still fighting the fight.”

Holtz dedicated 33 years to coaching college football, with his most celebrated moments at Arkansas and Notre Dame. He fondly led the Fighting Irish for 11 seasons from 1986 to 1996, compiling an impressive 110-30-2 record. Tim Brando also shared that Holtz truly loved serving as Notre Dame’s head coach.

His crowning achievement came in 1988 with a perfect 12-0 season and a national championship, the peak of a dominant run that also included a remarkable 23-game winning streak. But Lou Holtz’s impact went beyond the box score. He instilled a deep sense of culture in the locker room, symbolized by the iconic ‘Play Like A Champion Today’ sign.

After his stint at Notre Dame, he worked as a college football analyst for CBS Sports for two seasons. He later became a well-known ESPN analyst, too. However, his aura was unmatched during his off-field gig, as Brando remembers their “All About Us Dinners.”

“Our Friday Night ‘All About Us Dinners,’ as we called them at CBS Sports, were epic, and Lou, an incredibly gifted speaker, was like our Weekly Keynoter! @CraigJames32 was always with us, and he’ll remember too, Brando said on X.

We did a lot together, even called an @NFLonCBS game a couple of times. Towards the end of these Friday dinners, he’d grab up salt & pepper shakers and leftover wine glasses and diagram plays on the tables. Pretty soon people from other tables would come over and watch. 👀”

Holtz’s career is unique. He played college football at Kent State and began coaching as an assistant in 1960. His first head coaching role was at William & Mary, and he later spent four seasons at N.C. State. His career extended beyond college football into the NFL, but his time with the New York Jets ended after a 3-10 season, though his overall impact was far greater.

Lou Holtz gets Donald Trump’s praise

Lou Holtz’s leadership and personal belief made him a big name beyond sports. President Donald Trump awarded Lou Holtz the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020 for his contributions to athletics and his Catholic faith. He even praised his efforts during the ceremony.

“He grew up in poverty in a two-room cellar, but as Lou says, ‘I knew God and my family loved me, and their love was all the wealth I needed,” Donald Trump said. “That’s everything I needed. That’s all I wanted.’”

Holtz always considered Trump a great leader and even called him “the greatest president.” Later, he also became a vocal supporter of him.

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With on-field success, he also did a lot of philanthropic work. His support for Catholic Charities, the Women’s Care Foundation, and the Center for the Homeless in South Bend demonstrated that Lou Holtz knows how to give back to society. He also awarded several scholarships to underprivileged students and donated diabetic pumps to children who needed them.

It is this combination of on-field success and off-field character that cemented Lou Holtz as one of college football’s most impactful figures.