Legendary Coach Lou Holtz, Who Led Notre Dame to National Championship, Dies at 89

Lou Holtz, the legendary college football coach who led Notre Dame to the 1988 national championship and became one of the most recognizable figures in American sports, died Wednesday at his home in Florida at the age of 89. Holtz coached the Fighting Irish from 1986 to 1996, compiling a record that cemented his place among the greatest coaches in college football history. Beyond Notre Dame, he also coached at South Carolina, Arkansas, Minnesota, and several other programs during a career that spanned decades. Known for his wit, motivational speaking, and deep Catholic faith, Holtz was as much a teacher of character as a coach of football — a distinction that made him beloved far beyond the sidelines. His passing comes during a week of extraordinary loss in American sports, following the death of rock pioneer Neil Sedaka and the retirement of Bears Pro Bowler Drew Dalman.