What's everyone's opinion of Lou Holtz on this board

[Batch]

As a coach of course. I keep reading we need this or that coach.

I am not attempting to compare BK to Coach Holtz in any way. But I was trying to remember the last time I felt this bad about a loss.

And the answer I came up with was 1989. A 12-1 season that I honestly felt we were robbed of a NC. But check the score of game we lost. Not the *** whooping we took last Saturday, but if I am remembering correctly that game was never really in doubt either.

[irishrush]

He was "my" coach, meaning I was there for the modern glory years of ND Foortball.

I think he is a great coach and motivator. He is definitely up there in with the other legends.

I forget now, but he "stepped down" after a 9-3 season maybe? That and the scandal involving players having relations with a female booster. That seems mild compared to what happens now.

[GreensboroGoldenDomer]

Originally Posted by irishrush

He was "my" coach, meaning I was there for the modern glory years of ND Foortball.

I think he is a great coach and motivator. He is definitely up there in with the other legends.

I forget now, but he "stepped down" after a 9-3 season maybe? That and the scandal involving players having relations with a female booster. That seems mild compared to what happens now.

"My Coach" I love how you put that man cause that's how i feel about Lou Holtz
His players loved him and believed everything he said, they would would run through walls for the man.

That is something that Kelly is missing and so has every other coach that has come here after Lou

[NDNorm]

Well, me and old Lou share the same birthday, but that's not why I love him. I am at the age where Lou was the first coach when I was a young man and became a rabid fan. Growing up there, I was always a fan, but the way any kid would be when that's your hometown team, so Devine was there when I didn't really care about the coach. (I was in high school when the debacle of Faust hit.)

Anyway, Lou, yeah, I freaking loved the guy. Was everything perfect? No, but I knew pretty much what team I was getting every week. Those guys had an edge to 'em, even on offense...they played w/an aggressive mentality. There weren't just one or 2 guys that had that either, but a whole bunch of guys.

I always say, give me a guy who hates to lose more than a guy who loves to win, and Lou had guys that hated to lose.

[case29]

DomerDomain.com

[corysold]

I don't remember much of Lou as ND's coach, but I did see him speak at a conference in about 2006 or so and he was one of the memorable speakers I've ever seen. So many great one-liners, which were humorous, but made his point.

My favorite was his line about being questioned on how he slept looking at his yearly schedule.

"Oh, I slept like a baby when I saw the schedule...I woke up every two hours and cried!"

[coltssb]

As someone mentioned, you knew what team you were getting week to week. There were some losses here and there, but not like the head scratchers we’ve seen in the past twenty years. We had a blue collar team that played that way. I’ve yet to see that since Lou left.

[NDNorm]

Originally Posted by coltssb

As someone mentioned, you knew what team you were getting week to week. There were some losses here and there, but not like the head scratchers we’ve seen in the past twenty years. We had a blue collar team that played that way. I’ve yet to see that since Lou left.

Another way to look at it is some of these bowl projections leave me not feeling so great, as in, I wouldn't necessarily want to play that team. With Lou's guys, I don't remember fearing any matchup really. I do remember being anxious about WVU because of the Major Harris hype and the simple fact that it was for all the marbles.

[TexasDomer]

Lou was my coach as well. I was there 1989-1993.

He can do anything (almost) and I'd support him.

[ndmike88]

The Pope should make Lou a saint. He was the perfect coach for Notre Dame.

[SpeedsterX]

Was Lou the most "perfect" coach Notre Dame has ever had. Lou won ONE National Championship. Should have been 2! BUT, how many did Ara win? Frank Lahey? See my point? By the time Lou "stepped down", the game was passing him by.

[Rocketsan]

As busy as he was, he still took time for the fans. He and I have corresponded several times over the years. Nice thing is it's always a personalized letter. Special man for sure...

[The eND]

Lost a ton of respect for him after some of his comments about some of the issues black people have to deal with on a regular basis.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/sports...927-story.html

[Grace Flanner]

A little perspective:
In 11 years as head coach at ND, Holtz was 100-32-2.
In his 8th year as head coach at ND, Kelly is 67-32.

I also had felt that the game was passing Holtz by by the time he left. In his last 3 years he had 6, 9, and 8 wins.
But all of those other 10-12 win years sure seemed worth it.
And who doesn't love hearing him give a talk? Lisp and all, he has always been one great motivator.

[coltssb]

Honest question here. I’ve heard the game was passing Lou by not only here but by friends in the past. Was it really? Or did the administrators not allow Lou to get the recruits he was getting when he first arrived? I know he wanted Randy Moss. Think about him in an ND jersey with Lou. He wanted TJ Ducket.

[FaithInIrishForever]

Fond childhood memories. Therapist wrote him a letter, I received a signed football.

Not as big on the youtube stuff you can see, but everyones human. He's been rough on people at times, but so has Chris Berman and other sports celebs.

He had good timing as others have alluded too. He coached great talent and accomplished the mission.

Always will be remembered for 88.

As for Kelly to Holtz 88 separates them most of all.

Demeanor is not that different. Kelly could also do broadcasting one day.

Success is different. Kelly has gotten close in big games(FSU, Clemson, Georgia). Lou won some of his.

Kelly unless he changes it will be a title short of Holtz. But he will have provided the most stability since Holtz.

[imroc]

Originally Posted by ndmike88

The Pope should make Lou a saint. He was the perfect coach for Notre Dame.

It’s been said that Lou gave final approval on the canonization of St JPII

[OKLAHOMAIRISHFAN]

He is my God.

I didn't become a fan until 1992. The Snow Bowl. Hated college football before that. My mom was watching and I fell in love with ND and Holtz. So I'm not even accustomed to a lot of winning (the early 90's were good).

I'm not an alum (OU grad) and yet I love it that he is an ND man through and through. Some people don't think that is important...I do. They talk about how Ara wasn't Catholic (neither am I) but he LOVED the university (as I do).

Gives me chills just talking about these two and their love for the university and program.

I met Holtz at Oklahoma Baptist University in 2015 at an event he was speaking at. Just as great in person as he is on t.v. Got my book signed and a picture with him.

[Island Domer]

Much like everyone else here, I love Lou. Outside of his political voice I couldn't like him anymore. I was born in 84 and was watching ND from the earliest times of my childhood. He was the only coach I knew for the first decade of my life. We have Not had a better one since. He was blessed with many of the classic and irregular quirks and strengths that endeared us to our legendary coaches.
We obviously all love him.

On a side note ... I like him so much I couldn't even open that link with quotes from him on black lives issues.

[The eND]

I met Lou in person and it was such an amazing moment. Just him and I sitting down and talking for about half an hour.

BUT sports is so weird. We grow to idolize people because of their success carrying a leather ball across a white line. Or calling plays really well, or game planning.

It is easy for fans to lose site that we really don't know these people as people. And when they say things that make you cringe you sort of re-analyze how much stock you put into these people.

[AlabamaDuck]

Originally Posted by GreensboroGoldenDomer

"My Coach" I love how you put that man cause that's how i feel about Lou Holtz
His players loved him and believed everything he said, they would would run through walls for the man.

That is something that Kelly is missing and so has every other coach that has come here after Lou

I have never heard that the players loved Coach Holtz while they were playing for him. The littlest thing would set him off. Even the assistant coaches or student managers weren't safe.
He had a great sense of humor that the fans and announcers liked as well as some players.
Most say that he was fired because he could not get along with Admittance and other faculty members.

[AtLeastMySisWasIrish]

ND and Lou came together at the most opportune time a Coach and Team could ever hope for. His love for ND was well documented and started what has become known as the "ND Clause", ie having a contractual out for a coach to leave a program without penalty should their dream job become available. Lou did so with MN and the rest is history. However for those who wish we could find another Lou, the chance for it isn't likely as the "Game" itself is of a completely different nature. If you look at programs similar to ND, look at how difficult it is for a coach to know the culture of the program - students, recruits, geography and most important, the MONEY people who keep the program in touch with evolving demands.
Further what seems to be the majority of those on this Board is the lack of awareness of his departure from the school. His "act" or "methods" were tolerable when he was winning and had ND at the top of the Polls but he was essentially fired for cause yet minus Social Media, it never garnered the attention a similar situation would today. Rockne, Leahy, Ara and Lou, in that order, made ND the sentimental brand it is today. He saw the opportunity to create a franchise and brought in the infamous Vinny Cerrato as his recruiter, who had the same job with the Redskins...but the rules were pushed, he was HIGHLY criticized for launching the Prop 48 kids, Rice, Zorich and others and who under admission guidelines then and today, would never have sniffed a ND degree if they weren't talented in football. The Priests got tired of it and him, the boosters were split and ultimately he was allowed to resign, his daughter allowed to graduate free of charge and him: ride off into the sunset. It was a marriage similar to most, filled with good and bad but time removes the tarnished and instead polishes the 'Dome', despite the book atop the NYT's Bestseller list of a similar title.
Despite his pushing the edge, he is a man of principal, worthy of respect and deserved of his place in Irish and College Football history. If you ever have a chance to say hello or hear him speak, do it as it will be time well spent. GO IRISH!