As tributes for the legendary Lou Holtz poured in, one stood out, not for its remembrance of the past, but for its ambitious promise for the future. Many tributes reminisced about the late legend’s greatness. However, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman chose to overcommit himself instead.

“When you think of his career, you think of greatness, you think of excellence. I still hear about the year of 1988, the national championship, every day around here,” Freeman said during his appearance on Good Morning Football on the NFL Network. “When you think about his teams as a whole, his tenure as a whole at Notre Dame, the impact he made on the university. Everybody loved coach Holtz; everybody talks about him in a way.”

But the current Irish head coach didn’t stop there. Freeman put himself in that situation, with a hope to leave a legacy that makes people remember him in the same vein.

“As a current head coach, when I’m done coaching, when my time is up, I hope I can make an impact the way Coach Holtz did at Notre Dame, but also in college football. So, his legacy will live on, and his impact will also be felt here in South Bend.”

Holtz, who passed away at 89 two weeks ago, wasn’t just an Irish legend. His impact extended way beyond the gridiron. Marcus Freeman himself had Holtz as a mentor as he was trying to navigate the hardships that come in a first-time head-coaching job at a premier program like Notre Dame. The statement Freeman released immediately after Holtz’s death delved deeper into the kind of relationship they shared.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Lou Holtz,” Freeman said in his statement. “Lou and I shared a very special relationship. He welcomed me to the Notre Dame family immediately, offering me great support throughout our time together. Our relationship meant a lot to me as I admired the values he used to build the foundation of his coaching career: love, trust, and commitment.”

Holtz also funded major projects in South Bend during his lifetime. He funded the renovations of the chapel and the Beth and Lou Holtz Grand Reading Room at Notre Dame’s Hesburgh Library. To prove how much he meant to the program, his statue was unveiled on the campus in 2008.

What Marcus Freeman needs to match Lou Holtz’s legacy

Holtz’s coaching career spanned five decades, nine programs, and one NFL team, with an overall record of 249-132-7. His most impressive stint was with the Fighting Irish, where he won a national championship in his third season with a 12-0 record. His Notre Dame record was 100-32-2. 

Being past his third year without a championship means Freeman is already falling short of Holtz’s standards. However, his tenure at Notre Dame has been quite a successful one. After his first season that saw the Irish finish 19th with an 8-4 record, Freeman has led the team to three consecutive seasons of double-digit wins. That includes a trip to the national championship game, where the Irish fell short to Ryan Day’s Ohio State, a head coach that Holtz had ironically had a public feud with. 

There is clearly a winning-streak similarity between Holtz and Freeman, as the pair have both had brilliant double-digit winning streaks during their stints with the Fighting Irish. Freeman has not only improved the team’s performance in recent years, but he has also made them a bigger force to reckon with in recruiting, evidenced by their recruitment of several blue-chip talents.

Notwithstanding, what the Irish have lacked for almost four decades is still lacking in South Bend. The program has been without a national championship since Holtz’s title in 1988. Heading into his fifth season, the 40-year-old is right to make a greater demand of himself.