College Football Legend Lou Holtz Enters Hospice Care

Lou Holtz, the legendary college football coach whose career spanned more than four decades and left a lasting imprint on the sport, has entered hospice care at the age of 89, according to multiple reports confirmed on January 29, 2026. The news, first shared by Arkansas Razorbacks reporter Kyle Sutherland and corroborated by ABC57 News, has prompted an outpouring of prayers and tributes from across the college football world, as fans and former colleagues reflect on Holtz’s remarkable journey both on and off the field.

Holtz’s coaching legacy is nothing short of extraordinary. Over 44 seasons, he led programs at William & Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame, and South Carolina, as well as a brief stint in the NFL with the New York Jets. He’s perhaps best remembered for his transformative tenures at Arkansas and Notre Dame, where his leadership, discipline, and infectious personality turned struggling teams into national powerhouses.

Holtz’s rise to national prominence began at Arkansas, where he coached from 1977 to 1983. In his first season, Holtz’s Razorbacks stunned the college football world by upsetting Oklahoma in the 1978 Orange Bowl—a game that is still talked about today. Despite being heavy underdogs and having suspended several key players before the game, Holtz’s squad pulled off one of the most memorable upsets in bowl history. During his seven years at Arkansas, Holtz compiled a 60-21-2 record, won three bowl games, and captured a Southwest Conference title in 1979 with a 10-2 record. Four of his Arkansas teams finished in the top ten, cementing his reputation as a program builder.

After a brief stop at Minnesota, Holtz was hired in 1986 to take over the storied Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The move was, in many ways, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. As Nick Shepkowski of SI.com recounted, “Holtz would share stories about marching out of his elementary school to the ‘Notre Dame Victory March’ when he’d join his classmates for recess.” Holtz’s reverence for Notre Dame was well known, and he wasted no time restoring the program to its former glory.

In just his third season at the helm, Holtz led Notre Dame to a perfect 12-0 record and the 1988 national championship, defeating Miami in a classic mid-October showdown and securing the title with a Fiesta Bowl victory. That championship marked Notre Dame’s 11th and its first since 1977. Holtz’s 1988 squad remains one of the most celebrated in college football history, and the coach himself would go on to win 100 games at Notre Dame—second only to Knute Rockne at the time, and now third behind Brian Kelly and Rockne. Holtz’s tenure also featured four more 10-win seasons and victories in several major bowl games.

Holtz’s influence at Notre Dame extended beyond the win-loss column. He instituted several traditions that still define the program today, including hanging the iconic “Play Like a Champion” sign in the football locker room and removing names from the backs of jerseys to emphasize team unity. “The famous ‘Play Like a Champion’ sign in the football locker room, which Fighting Irish players strike on the way out to the field, was first hung up during the Holtz era,” the official Notre Dame website notes.

Among the many greats Holtz coached at Notre Dame were 1987 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown and College Football Hall of Famers Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, Michael Stonebreaker, Aaron Taylor, and Chris Zorich. His ability to recruit and develop talent was matched only by his skill in motivating players and fostering a sense of purpose and camaraderie.

After stepping down from Notre Dame in 1996, Holtz initially retired and moved into broadcasting as a CBS Sports analyst. But the lure of the sidelines proved too strong, and in 1999 he returned to college football as the head coach at South Carolina. Taking over a struggling program that had gone 1-10 the previous season, Holtz’s first year saw the Gamecocks go winless at 0-11. Nevertheless, he orchestrated a dramatic turnaround, leading South Carolina to an 8-4 record and back-to-back Outback Bowl victories in the following years. Holtz retired for good after the 2004 season, finishing with a 33-37 record at South Carolina but leaving the program in far better shape than he found it.

Holtz’s overall head coaching record stands at an impressive 249-132-7, making him one of the winningest coaches in college football history. He remains the only coach to take six different teams to bowl games, win five bowl games with various teams, and have four different college teams ranked in the final top 20, according to Sports Reference. In 2008, Holtz was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, a fitting recognition for a career defined by excellence, resilience, and innovation.

Beyond the X’s and O’s, Holtz’s impact has been deeply felt through his philanthropy and commitment to the well-being of his players and communities. Alongside his late wife, Beth, Holtz established the Holtz’s Heroes Foundation, which supports former student-athletes facing financial, physical, or mental hardships and provides scholarships to deserving youth. The Beth and Lou Holtz Family Grand Reading Room at Notre Dame’s Hesburgh Library stands as a testament to their enduring legacy of giving back.

Holtz’s health had been a concern in recent years. After suffering leg injuries in a car accident in the winter of 2025, he still made public appearances, including serving as honorary captain at the Arkansas vs. Notre Dame game in September 2025. At that event, Holtz was honored in the media room and on the field, though he required assistance due to his condition. He also attended the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship game to support Notre Dame, demonstrating his unwavering devotion to the sport and the university.

As news of Holtz entering hospice care spread, the college football community responded with an outpouring of support. Tim Brando of Fox Sports expressed the sentiments of many: “Oh at some point I think we all knew we’d be lucky to hold on to Lou and legends like him much longer. So many we’ve looked up to and many I had the honor and privilege of not only covering, but working alongside eventually head to their next life of eternal glory.” Brando also extended his thoughts to Holtz’s family, writing, “My thoughts are with his family, especially my dear friend @SkipHoltz his wife Jen and their extended family. His beloved wife Beth awaits. Coach Holtz has always been a National Treasure.”

As of the evening of January 29, 2026, neither the University of Notre Dame nor its Department of Athletics had released an official statement regarding Holtz’s condition. But the legacy of Lou Holtz is already assured—a legacy of championship triumphs, program turnarounds, cherished traditions, and a relentless belief in the power of teamwork and faith. The college football world now pauses, united in gratitude and respect for a coach who shaped generations and left an indelible mark on the game.