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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 a hospice facility earlier in the week.
Skip Holtz wrote on social media that his father was “still fighting.”
“Enjoy everyone’s texts and prayers. Dad is 89 and STILL fighting! Only the man upstairs knows how much time is left on the clock,” he wrote. “I 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 press conference before the game at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on September 27, 2025. (Nelson Chenault/Imagn Images)
Kevin Holtz confirmed Saturday that Lou was in hospice care.
“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 issue,” he wrote on Facebook. “While this is a difficult time, our goal is to maintain her comfort, quality of life and care in her Orlando home.
“As family has always been of the utmost importance to Coach, we hold out for each other and strive to make every moment and every day count. The entire family appreciates your thoughts, prayers and support, but ask for privacy as we navigate this journey. Psalm 41:3.”
Best known for his patrols on 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 to 1996, where he finished with a record of 110-30-2.
Lou Holtz, head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, on the field before the game against the Stanford Cardinal at 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 had a record of 249-132-7 during his coaching career.
Holtz rose to even greater prominence during his tenure as a college football analyst on ESPN.
He played at Kent State before coaching as an assistant in 1960, then got his first head coaching job in 1969 at William & Mary. Holtz then left for NC State, spending four seasons in Raleigh, before giving the NFL a shot. That stint didn’t work, however, as the Jets went 3-10 and he resigned.
In recent years, Holtz has been a strong supporter of President Donald Trump. In February 2024, Holtz said on social media that the country “needs[ed] to bring 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, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump in 2020, shortly after former President Joe Biden defeated Trump in the election.
