Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM APRIL/MAY 2026 23 BY TYLER JAMES F ormer Notre Dame football head coach Lou Holtz, who died March 4 at 89, accomplished so much during his career as a coach. After his coaching ca- reer, he became a beloved college foot- ball analyst as well, because of his sharp wit, humor and passion for the game that was part of his coaching persona. Holtz joined the "Third & Gold Pod- cast" in October 2025 to discuss a wide array of topics. His personality still shined through during the interview of nearly 30 minutes. Below is an excerpt of Blue & Gold Illustrated's conver- sation with Holtz. Questions may be paraphrased. Quotes from Holtz may be edited for clarity. BGI: What does it mean to you, and why do you keep making the time to get back up to Notre Dame? Holtz: "In 2008, they dedicated the statue to me at Notre Dame. And so many of the players came back. I re- member them coming to me saying, 'Coach, can we start a group called Lou's Lads?' That's because Leahy's Lads were passing away. "And I said, 'OK, if it's not just social. If you do things to help the university, that would be OK, and I would endorse it, but you'll run it.' And so that's where it all started. Then it progressed to Holtz's Heroes, which is the same thing. "Only one time in the history of Notre Dame have they given an outstanding alum award to a group, and that was Holtz's Heroes. They've very instru- mental in the food drive. They have do- nated scholarships to Notre Dame and done all this. "But more importantly, they take care of one another. When a former player dies, and we've had several of them, another player will be assigned to that family to make sure their children have the necessary academic utensils to suc- ceed. But more important than that, they get with their children and tell them how great their father was. What a great athlete. What a great person. What a great teammate. "Great athletes come and go. Great teammates last a lifetime. They want that child to grow up feeling they were part of something special, that they could be proud of what their dad did and accomplished. We just do things like that that are very important. "We get together once a year, second game of the fall season, where the play- ers come back. We have a luncheon. This year we had, I don't know, 700 or whatever it was they tell me. They come back and it's just great to see the players. "As I always told the players, you do what I ask you to do for four years, I'll be there for you for the next 40. Well, thank God the 40 are almost up." "But I go back, because I care about the players. I was not very well liked when I coached them, but I didn't care, because I don't feel that your obligation is to be well-liked as a coach. Your obligation is to make them the best they can. "The biggest mistake people make when they're put in a leadership role is they want to be well-liked, so they lower the standards. And by lowering the standards, you don't do a favor for the people involved. And so, I never low- ered the standards. I was tough. I was demanding. And I remember Woody Hayes said one time, if you're in coach- ing and you want a friend, buy a dog. But I had my wife, I had my family, and I tried to do what was in the best interest. "The same three rules we had then in football, they carried over in their life. And those three rules will always enable you to make good choices. So, whenever you are in this world, you're better because of the choices you make. You do the right thing. There's never a right time to do the wrong thing. Never a wrong time to do the right thing. It's important to do the right thing so peo- ple can always trust you. "Second rule we had, everybody just be the best you can be. Not everybody can be an All-American. Not everybody can be an A student. But everybody can be the best they're capable of being. And the third rule we had was the most important: Lou Holtz's Coaching Passion, Sharp Wit Remained Clear In 2008, Holtz was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and honored with a statue outside Notre Dame Stadium. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS