His Legacy
- The only coach in history to lead six different programs to bowl games.
- Coached Notre Dame to the national championship in 1988, in only his third season with the Irish, and was named National Coach of the Year.
- Won 100 games in his 11 years at Notre Dame, more than Knute Rockne (86), Frank Leahy (87) or Ara Parseghian (95) won in their first 11 years there.
- Took the Irish to traditional January 1 bowl games in nine straight seasons (1987–95), something no other Notre Dame coach had done.
- Achieved a 23-game winning streak through the 1988 and 1989 seasons, the longest in Notre Dame history.
- Defeated the top-ranked team in the country three times at Notre Dame: Miami in 1988, Colorado in 1989 and Florida State in 1993.
- Won five postseason bowl games at Notre Dame, more than any other Irish coach.
- The only coach in NCAA history to guide four different programs (North Carolina State, Arkansas, Notre Dame, and South Carolina) to final Associated Press Top 20 rankings.
- Faced ranked opponents in nearly 42 percent of the games he coached at Notre Dame.
- Two of his Notre Dame teams had the nation’s highest graduation rates, including a perfect 100 percent in 1988, the same season the Irish won the national championship.
- Had 12 players selected in the first round of the NFL draft while at Notre Dame.
- Named the 1998 Walter Camp Football Foundation “Man of the Year.”
Season by season
| Year | W-L-T | Pct. | Bowl game | Final AP rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William & Mary | 13-20-0 in 3 seasons | ||||
| 1969 | 3-7-0 | .300 | |||
| 1970 | 5-7-0 | .417 | Tangerine: lost to Toledo, 12-40 | ||
| 1971 | 5-6-0 | .455 | |||
| North Carolina State | 33-12-3 in 4 seasons | ||||
| 1972 | 8-3-1 | .708 | Peach: beat West Virginia, 49-13 | No. 17 | |
| 1973 | 9-3-0 | .750 | Liberty: beat Kansas, 31-18 | No. 16 | |
| 1974 | 9-2-1 | .792 | Bluebonnet: tied Houston, 31-31 | No. 11 | |
| 1975 | 7-4-1 | .625 | Peach: lost to West Virginia, 10-13 | ||
| Arkansas | 60-21-2 in 7 seasons | ||||
| 1977 | 11-1-0 | .917 | Orange: beat Oklahoma, 31-6 | No. 3 | |
| 1978 | 9-2-1 | .792 | Fiesta: tied UCLA, 10-10 | No. 11 | |
| 1979 | 10-2-0 | .833 | Sugar: lost to Alabama, 9-24 | No. 8 | |
| 1980 | 7-5-0 | .583 | Hall of Fame: beat Tulane, 34-15 | ||
| 1981 | 8-4-0 | .667 | Gator: lost to North Carolina, 27-31 | ||
| 1982 | 9-2-1 | .792 | Bluebonnet: beat Florida, 28-21 | No. 9 | |
| 1983 | 6-5-0 | .545 | |||
| Minnesota | 10-12-0 in 2 seasons | ||||
| 1984 | 4-7-0 | .364 | |||
| 1985 | 6-5-0 | .545 | Team earned an Independence Bowl bid | ||
| Notre Dame | 100-30-2 in 11 seasons | ||||
| 1986 | 5-6-0 | .455 | |||
| 1987 | 8-4-0 | .667 | Cotton: lost to Texas A&M, 10-35 | No. 17 | |
| 1988 | 12-0-0 | 1.000 | Fiesta: beat West Virginia, 34-21 | No. 1 | |
| 1989 | 12-1-0 | .923 | Orange: beat Colorado, 21-6 | No. 2 | |
| 1990 | 9-3-0 | .750 | Orange: lost to Colorado, 9-10 | No. 6 | |
| 1991 | 10-3-0 | .769 | Sugar: beat Florida, 39-28 | No. 13 | |
| 1992 | 10-1-1 | .875 | Cotton: beat Texas A&M, 28-3 | No. 4 | |
| 1993 | 11-1-0 | .917 | Cotton: beat Texas A&M, 24-21 | No. 2 | |
| 1994 | 6-5-1 | .542 | Fiesta: lost to Colorado, 24-41 | ||
| 1995 | 9-3-0 | .750 | Orange: lost to Florida State, 26-31 | No. 11 | |
| 1996 | 8-3-0 | .727 | No. 19 | ||
| Through 1996 (27 seasons) | 216-95-7 | ||||
These records come from CoachHoltz.com and run through his last season at Notre Dame. His six seasons at South Carolina (1999–2004) are still to be added.
Against every opponent
Record against all 73 opponents, 1969–1996
| Opponent | W-L-T |
|---|---|
| Air Force | 8-1-0 |
| Alabama | 1-3-0 |
| Arizona State | 1-0-0 |
| Army | 1-0-0 |
| Baylor | 4-3-0 |
| Boston College | 4-2-0 |
| Brigham Young | 2-1-0 |
| Cincinnati | 0-2-0 |
| Clemson | 4-1-0 |
| Colorado | 1-2-0 |
| Colorado State | 1-0-0 |
| Connecticut | 1-0-0 |
| Davidson | 2-1-0 |
| Duke | 3-0-1 |
| East Carolina | 5-0-0 |
| Florida | 3-1-0 |
| Florida State | 1-2-0 |
| Georgia | 0-3-0 |
| Hawaii | 1-0-0 |
| Houston | 3-4-1 |
| Illinois | 0-1-0 |
| Indiana | 4-0-0 |
| Iowa | 1-1-0 |
| Kansas | 1-0-0 |
| Louisiana State | 0-1-0 |
| Maryland | 1-2-1 |
| Miami (Fla.) | 2-3-0 |
| Michigan | 5-5-1 |
| Michigan State | 8-4-0 |
| Mississippi | 2-2-0 |
| Montana | 1-0-0 |
| Navy | 12-0-0 |
| Nebraska | 0-2-0 |
| New Mexico | 1-0-0 |
| New Mexico State | 1-0-0 |
| North Carolina | 2-4-0 |
| Northwestern | 5-2-0 |
| Ohio State | 0-4-0 |
| Ohio Wesleyan | 1-0-0 |
| Oklahoma | 1-1-0 |
| Oklahoma State | 4-0-0 |
| Penn State | 5-6-0 |
| Pittsburgh | 7-2-0 |
| Purdue | 12-1-0 |
| Rice | 8-1-0 |
| Richmond | 1-2-0 |
| Rutgers | 1-0-0 |
| SMU | 5-3-1 |
| South Carolina | 4-0-0 |
| Southern Cal | 9-1-1 |
| Stanford | 5-2-0 |
| Syracuse | 2-0-0 |
| Temple | 1-1-0 |
| Tennessee | 1-2-0 |
| Texas | 4-5-0 |
| Texas A&M; | 8-2-0 |
| Texas Christian | 6-1-0 |
| Texas Tech | 7-0-0 |
| The Citadel | 2-1-0 |
| Toledo | 0-1-0 |
| Tulane | 2-0-0 |
| Tulsa | 7-0-0 |
| UCLA | 0-0-1 |
| VMI | 3-0-0 |
| Vanderbilt | 3-1-0 |
| Villanova | 0-1-0 |
| Virginia | 4-2-0 |
| Virginia Tech | 0-3-0 |
| Wake Forest | 3-0-0 |
| Washington | 2-0-0 |
| West Virginia | 2-4-0 |
| Wichita State | 2-0-0 |
| Wisconsin | 2-0-0 |
Teams and rosters
South Carolina, 2000: coaching staff
| Head coach | Lou Holtz |
| Staff | Dave Roberts, Skip Holtz, Paul Lounsberry, Buddy Pough, Chris Cosh, John Gutekunst, Dave DeGuglielmo, Charlie Strong, Todd Fitch |
South Carolina, 2000: roster (103 players)
| No. | Name | Pos. | Class | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus McBeth | KO | So/RS | 6-1 | 165 | Enoree, SC | |
| Barry Casterlin | K/P | So/RS | 6-1 | 165 | Enoree, SC | |
| 1 | Antione Nesmith | FS | Jr | 6-0 | 209 | Walterboro, SC |
| 3 | Corey Alexander | RB | Jr | 5-9 | 178 | Mooresville, NC |
| 4 | Andrew Pinnock | RB | So | 6-0 | 242 | Bloomfield, CT |
| 5 | Jason Corse | PK | Sr/RS | 5-10 | 170 | Lake Forest, IL |
| 5 | Dondrial Pinkins | QB | Fr | 6-3 | 215 | Camilla, GA |
| 6 | Trevin Smith | RB | Fr | 6-0 | 195 | Moncks Corner, SC |
| 7 | Michael Ages | WR | So | 5-10 | 160 | Rex, GA |
| 8 | Ted Crawford | WR | Fr/RS | 5-9 | 175 | Snellville, GA |
| 9 | Tim Yarn | CB | Fr/RS | 5-10 | 160 | Citra, FL |
| 10 | Marcus McCullum | SS | Jr | 6-0 | 190 | Clio, SC |
| 10 | Carlos Spikes | QB | Jr/RS | 6-0 | 190 | Tallahassee, FL |
| 11 | Robert Echols | RB | Jr | 5-7 | 182 | Florence, SC |
| 11 | Rashad Faison | SS | So/RS | 5-9 | 188 | Wauchula, FL |
| 12 | Rod Wilson | QB | Fr | 6-3 | 203 | Cross, SC |
| 13 | Jarrod Reese | QB | Jr/TR | 6-3 | 210 | Coffeeyville, KS |
| 14 | Kevin Bekker | DB | Sr | 6-0 | 192 | Mt. Pleasant, SC |
| 14 | Erik Kimrey | QB | Jr | 6-1 | 208 | Irmo, SC |
| 14 | Phil Petty | QB | Jr/RS | 6-3 | 205 | Boiling Springs, SC |
| 15 | Rachiem Monroe | DB | Fr | 5-9 | 175 | Charleston, SC |
| 15 | Kevin Sides | SB | Sr | 5-11 | 177 | China Grove, NC |
| 16 | Jamacia Jackson | RB | Fr | 6-2 | 195 | Sumter, SC |
| 17 | Mikal Goodman | QB | So | 6-3 | 185 | New Smyrna Beach, FL |
| 18 | Josh Rogers | QB | Jr/TR | 6-3 | 215 | Los Gatos, CA |
| 19 | Andrea Gause | RB | Fr | 5-9 | 175 | Conway, SC |
| 19 | Keith Knag | CB | So/RS | 5-11 | 180 | Mauldin, SC |
| 20 | Kevin Magourik | WR | Sr/RS | 5-6 | 175 | Warrenton, LA |
| 20 | Willie Offord | SS | Jr/RS | 6-1 | 207 | Palatka, FL |
| 21 | Ryan Brewer | SB | So | 5-10 | 205 | Troy, OH |
| 22 | Derek Watson | RB | So | 6-1 | 205 | Williamston, SC |
| 23 | Jamie Scott | SS | So/RS | 5-10 | 198 | Mullins, SC |
| 24 | Sheldon Brown | CB | Jr | 5-9 | 187 | Lewisville, SC |
| 25 | Brian Elam | FS | So | 6-0 | 175 | North Augusta, SC |
| 26 | Reid Bethea | PK | So | 5-7 | 155 | Dublin, GA |
| 26 | Gonzie Gray | DB | Fr | 6-0 | 180 | Waldorf, MD |
| 27 | Nate Gary | SS | So/RS | 5-11 | 210 | Laurens, SC |
| 28 | DeAndre Eiland | DB | Fr | 6-0 | 175 | Tupelo, MS |
| 29 | Kevin House | CB | Jr/RS | 5-11 | 170 | Tampa, FL |
| 29 | Cedric June | WR | Fr | 5-10 | 185 | Sumter, SC |
| 30 | O'Rondai Cox | FS | Jr/RS | 5-11 | 177 | Decatur, GA |
| 31 | Darion Hutcherson | ILB | Jr | 5-11 | 237 | Atlanta, GA |
| 32 | Dunta Robinson | DB | Fr | 6-1 | 170 | Athens, GA |
| 33 | Jeremiah Garrison | LB | Fr | 6-1 | 205 | Belton, SC |
| 34 | Rod Thomas | OLB | So | 6-1 | 218 | DeLand, FL |
| 35 | Andre Goodman | CB | Jr/RS | 5-10 | 180 | Greenville, SC |
| 36 | Andre Offing | ILB | Sr/RS | 6-1 | 241 | Houston, TX |
| 39 | Jonathan Martin | SS | So/RS | 5-10 | 209 | Columbia, SC |
| 40 | Jack Johnson | LB | Fr | 6-2 | 215 | Myrtle Beach, SC |
| 40 | Travis Lewis | TE | Jr | 6-1 | 255 | Latta, SC |
| 41 | Shannon Wadley | ILB | Jr/RS | 6-1 | 228 | Swainsboro, GA |
| 42 | Pat Fleming | ILB | So | 6-1 | 210 | Manning, SC |
| 43 | Gavin Ford | RB | Fr/RS | 5-9 | 235 | North Myrtle Beach, SC |
| 44 | Kenny Harney | ILB | Jr | 6-2 | 239 | Fairfax, SC |
| 45 | Franky McCullum | DE | So/RS | 6-2 | 238 | Florence, SC |
| 46 | Lenny Williams | SS | So/RS | 6-4 | 220 | Tampa, FL |
| 47 | Tyeler Dean | P | So/RS | 5-9 | 189 | Barnwell, SC |
| 48 | Thomas Hill | TE | Sr/RS | 6-3 | 239 | Little River, SC |
| 49 | Hart Turner | TE | Fr | 6-5 | 230 | Spartanburg, SC |
| 50 | Scott Browne | C | Sr/RS | 6-2 | 275 | Jacksonville, FL |
| 51 | Marco Hutchinson | ILB | Sr | 6-0 | 242 | Rock Hill, SC |
| 52 | Jeff Barnes | OG | Fr/RS | 6-4 | 250 | Fayetteville, GA |
| 53 | Jonathan Ragans | C | So/RS | 6-2 | 277 | Palatka, FL |
| 54 | Adam Holmes | DS | Sr | 6-2 | 235 | Manning, SC |
| 55 | Kalimba Edwards | OLB | Jr | 6-6 | 258 | East Point, GA |
| 56 | Langston Moore | DT | So | 6-1 | 267 | Charleston, SC |
| 58 | CJ Frye | OG | So | 6-3 | 285 | Irmo, SC |
| 59 | Dennis Thomas | OG | Sr/RS | 6-1 | 273 | Calhoun Falls, SC |
| 60 | Nick Johnson | OL | Fr | 6-5 | 320 | Loganville, GA |
| 61 | Jon Boilard | OL | Fr | 6-7 | 305 | New Britain, CT |
| 62 | Cleveland Pinkney | DT | Sr/TR | 6-2 | 285 | Sumter, SC |
| 63 | Heath Nivens | OL | Sr | 6-4 | 257 | Irmo, SC |
| 64 | Justin McGuire | OL | Fr | 6-2 | 290 | Columbia, SC |
| 65 | Phillip Jones | C | Jr/RS | 6-2 | 287 | Snellville, GA |
| 66 | Jason Harris | OL | Fr | 6-6 | 340 | Greenville, SC |
| 67 | Kevin Saylor | DS | Jr | 6-0 | 206 | Barnwell, SC |
| 68 | Travelle Wharton | OT | Fr | 6-4 | 295 | Fountain Inn, SC |
| 70 | Tim Bell | OG | Sr/TR | 6-1 | 299 | Goodman, MS |
| 71 | Shane Hall | OT | So | 6-6 | 290 | Medford, NJ |
| 72 | Melvin Paige | OT | Jr/RS | 6-5 | 303 | Dillon, SC |
| 73 | Larrell Johnson | C | Jr | 6-1 | 294 | Tampa, FL |
| 74 | John Strickland | OL | Fr | 6-4 | 295 | Bainbridge, GA |
| 75 | Chad Walker | OL | Fr | 6-4 | 300 | Albertville, AL |
| 76 | Cedric Williams | OG | So/RS | 6-3 | 290 | James Island, SC |
| 77 | Watts Sanderson | OL | So/RS | 6-5 | 281 | Tampa, FL |
| 80 | Kyle Crabb | TE | Jr/RS | 6-4 | 228 | Dublin, GA |
| 81 | Rod Trafford | TE | Jr/RS | 6-4 | 249 | Verona, NJ |
| 82 | Brian Scott | WR | Jr | 6-2 | 212 | Darlington, SC |
| 83 | Jamie Price | WR | Sr | 5-4 | 150 | Roanoke, VA |
| 84 | Jermale Kelly | WR | Sr/RS | 6-2 | 208 | Greenville, SC |
| 85 | Brian Brownlee | LB | Fr | 6-3 | 230 | Abbeville, SC |
| 86 | Jonathan Alston | DL | Fr | 6-5 | 247 | Ladson, SC |
| 88 | James Adkisson | WR | Jr/TR | 6-4 | 210 | St. Louis, MO |
| 89 | Willis Ham | WR | So/RS | 6-3 | 205 | Columbia, SC |
| 90 | Jason Capers | TE | Fr | 6-3 | 242 | Hartsville, SC |
| 91 | John Stamper | DE | Jr/RS | 6-4 | 255 | Andrews, SC |
| 92 | Carl Smalls | DL | Fr | 6-2 | 255 | Charleston, SC |
| 93 | Dennis Quinn | OLB | So/RS | 6-4 | 249 | Washington, GA |
| 94 | Preston Thorne | DL | Fr | 6-0 | 265 | Summerville, SC |
| 95 | Ron John-Finn | DL | Fr | 6-4 | 240 | Apopka, FL |
| 96 | Cecil Caldwell | DT | Sr/RS | 6-1 | 270 | Newberry, SC |
| 98 | Willie Sams | DL | Sr/TR | 6-5 | 270 | Bradenton, FL |
| 99 | Anthony Overstreet | DT | Sr/RS | 6-2 | 264 | Atlanta, GA |
More teams and seasons will be added over time.
Keep his legacy going
The Holtz Foundation carries Lou’s work forward through scholarships and other giving. A donation helps his example keep reaching people.
Donate to the Holtz FoundationWhere it started
The Lou Holtz Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame in East Liverpool, Ohio, honors the people of the valley he grew up in.
Visit the Hall of Fame