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The son of college football coaching legend Lou Holtz shared an update on his father on Sunday after he was admitted to hospice earlier this week.
Skip Holtz wrote on social media that his father was “still fighting the fight.”
“Appreciate everyone’s text and prayers. Dad is 89 and STILL fighting the fight! Only the man upstairs knows how much time is left on the clock,” he wrote. “Cherish the time we still have together in Orlando.”
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Former Notre Dame Fighting and Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Lou Holtz holds a pregame press conference at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Sept. 27, 2025. (Nelson Chenault/Imagn Images)
Kevin Holtz confirmed Saturday that Lou was in hospice.
“The Holtz family, Luanne Altenbaumer, Skip Holtz, Liz Holtz Messaglia, share the difficult news that our father, Coach Lou Holtz, is currently facing a health challenge,” he wrote on Facebook. “While this is a challenging time, our focus is on maintaining his comfort, quality of life and care in his home in Orlando.
“Since family has always been of the highest importance to Coach, we hold each other and focus on making every moment and day count. The whole family appreciates your thoughts, prayers and support, but please ask for privacy as we navigate this journey. Psalm 41:3.”
Best known for patrolling the sidelines at Arkansas and Notre Dame, Holtz coached college football for 33 years. He was the head coach of the Fighting Irish for 11 seasons from 1986-1996, finishing with a 110-30-2 record.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Lou Holtz on the field prior to the game against the Stanford Cardinal on Foster Field at Stanford Stadium on October 2, 1993. (RVR Photos/USA TODAY Sports)
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In 1988, Notre Dame finished with a perfect 12-0 record and won the Fiesta Bowl, which remains their last national championship. He went 249-132-7 in his coaching career.
Holtz gained even more prominence during his time as a college football analyst at ESPN.
He played at Kent State before starting coaching as an assistant in 1960, then got his first head coaching job in 1969 at William & Mary. Holtz later left for NC State and spent four seasons in Raleigh before giving the NFL a shot. That stint didn’t work out, though, as the Jets went 3-10 and he stepped down.
In recent years, Holtz has been a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump. In February 2024, Holtz wrote on social media that the country needs[ed] to train America back to greatness!”
Former football coach Lou Holtz speaks remotely during the Republican National Convention at Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC on August 26, 2020. (Republican National Convention via USA TODAY NETWORK)
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Holtz, who spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Trump in 2020, shortly after former President Joe Biden defeated Trump in the election.
