Beyond the game, it is common to see football stars building personal relationships with their coaches, which are often maintained for decades. The Oakland Raiders or Las Vegas Raiders legend Tim Brown had a similar relationship with his college coach at Notre Dame, where he spent his entire college career. After the recent passing of his college coach, Lou Holtz, he paid his final tribute with a heartfelt message.

“One last chance to say thanks!!” wrote Brown on X, replying to a video of him leaning out to touch the coach’s casket as a final tribute.

At the end of January 2026, the former coach was taken to the end-of-life hospice center in Florida. Holtz died on March 4, 2026, at the age of 89. He passed away due to declining health and prolonged old-age illnesses. His grand funeral was held twelve days after his death on March 16 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, which was attended by his former colleagues and students, including the nine-time Pro-Bowler.

When Brown was a rookie at Notre Dame, coach Lou instilled self-belief that eventually helped him succeed. The wide receiver wasn’t initially in the starting line-up of his team, but after calling him to his office one day, the legendary coach told him that he could see him winning the Heisman Trophy one day, which startled a 19-year-old Brown.

After the conversation, he diligently followed his advice throughout his college career.

Under Lou’s mentorship, the WR not only lifted the Heisman Trophy (1987) but also became a vastly improved player, which was why he was a first-round pick (6th overall) in the 1988 NFL Draft. Brown’s influence on the team was so significant that the coach admitted he would be missed after his departure to the NFL.

The legendary receiver played under the late coach for four years (1984-87) at Notre Dame, but Holtz’s own coaching career spanned decades with various top honors.

Lou Holtz’s coaching journey is defined by decades of college football success

In the 1950s, Lou Holtz played college football for Kent State University as a linebacker. After realizing his coaching potential, he switched to that role in 1960 when he was only 23. For the first nine years of his career, he worked as an assistant before getting his first assignment as a head coach in 1969.

While he had primarily been a college football coach, with stints at North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame, and South Carolina, he also had a brief stint as the head coach of the New York Jets in the NFL in 1976. However, his only NFL season as the head coach turned out to be disappointing after the Gang Green wrapped up the season with a 3-11 record, ending at the bottom of the AFC East. As a result, Lou resigned with one game remaining in their season.

The failure did not affect his college football momentum when he made his return. His tenure as the head coach of the Notre Dame football team was the longest in his career, lasting 11 seasons. The team became invincible in the late 80s and the early 90s, which included an unbelievable 23-game unbeaten streak for two seasons in 1988 and 1989. Their record between 1988 and 1993 was 64–9–1.

Now that he is gone, Lou Holtz will always be remembered for what he did for Notre Dame and college football.

Rest in peace, Mr. Holtz!