The legendary Lou Holtz may be gone, but his former college program is still keeping his legacy alive. Notre Dame has announced that it will celebrate its legendary head coach in their own special way.

The Fighting Irish will honor former coach Lou Holtz with a helmet decal this season, as reported by Brett McMurphy on September 2. The players will wear a special tribute helmet decal throughout the 2026 college football season. The decision comes six months after the Hall of Fame coach passed away in March 2026 at the age of 89. 

The small round decal features the name “LOU” in white lettering against a black background. Flanking his name are outlines of two hands forming the “L” symbol with their thumbs and index fingers. This is a direct nod to the traditional salute Notre Dame students used to give Holtz during the “1812 Overture” at home games. The decal will be placed on the back-right lower portion of the iconic golden helmets.

The Fighting Irish will showcase the decals on the field for the first time during their season opener on Sunday, September 6, when they host Wisconsin. This is not the only thing they are doing to pay their tributes to the legendary coach. As the game against Wisconsin is a Shamrock Series game held at the historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay, the university has organized a full schedule of fan events featuring Holtz’s legacy.

The official Notre Dame events leading up to kickoff in Green Bay will incorporate video highlights and showcases on the big screens to honor the 1988 championship-winning coach. 

NBC, the official broadcaster for the game, is expected to air dedicated retrospective packages detailing Holtz’s legendary 11-season coaching tenure. It will also include his massive impact on the college football landscape. 

Following a long illness and a brief stay in hospice care that began in late January, Lou Holtz passed away peacefully on March 4, 2026, at the age of 89. He died in Orlando, Florida, surrounded by his four children and loved ones. 

On March 16, the Notre Dame community gathered at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart for a televised funeral Mass to pay tribute to a man remembered for his “tough yet genuine love” and unwavering faith. He was laid to rest at the university’s Cedar Grove Cemetery, right alongside his late wife of 59 years, Beth. 

The legacy of Lou Holtz in college football

Lou Holtz built one of the most legendary and respected resumes in college football history. In his 33 seasons at the collegiate level, the former Irish head coach compiled a 249–132–7 career record. He holds the distinction of being the first coach in NCAA history to lead six different programs to bowl games. 

At the Fighting Irish, Holtz made his name from 1986 to 1996. During his tenure, Notre Dame registered 100 victories, which includes the undefeated championship run in 1988. That remains the Irish’s most recent national championship.

But beyond winning games, Holtz is often remembered for building the culture at South Bend. To emphasize a “team-first” mentality, he famously removed players’ last names from their home jerseys. Holtz heavily popularized the iconic “Play Like a Champion Today” sign that players touch before taking the field.

His involvement with the Irish didn’t stop with his retirement. After his death, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman recalled that Holtz would routinely call him every Sunday following a Notre Dame loss. Rather than criticizing, Holtz offered his support to a young head coach looking to make his mark in college football.

“I’m grateful that I got a chance to be impacted by (Holtz),” Freeman said in March 2026. “I didn’t get a chance to play for Coach Holtz. I didn’t get a chance to coach for Coach Holtz, but I did get the opportunity to be influenced by him.”

Throughout his coaching career, Holtz became synonymous with arriving at struggling, losing programs and rapidly transforming them into winners. He achieved success across multiple major conferences, heading programs at William & Mary, NC State, Arkansas, Minnesota, and South Carolina.

After his retirement, Holtz spent a highly successful decade as a beloved, quick-witted studio analyst for ESPN from 2005 to 2015.