Sports
Legendary football coach, commentator Lou Holtz dies at 89
Lou Holtz, the quick-witted college football coach who led Notre Dame to a national championship in 1988 and burnished his reputation as a master at rebuilding programs, has died at the age of 89, his family said Wednesday.
According to a statement released by Notre Dame, Holtz died in Orlando, Florida, where he was surrounded by family.
From the family of Lou Holtz pic.twitter.com/aYWiXYVnLq
— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) March 4, 2026
Holtz had a 249-132-7 record over his head coaching career with six schools: William & Mary, NC State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina.
He also coached the NFL’s New York Jets for the 1976 season and finished 3-10.
After retiring from coaching, Holtz worked in television, including more than a decade with ESPN, but what he did with the Irish stands as his greatest accomplishment.
Notre Dame hired Holtz in 1986 to restore a once-proud program that had stumbled under Gerry Faust. The hire fulfilled a childhood dream for Holtz, who grew up in the 1940s listening to Notre Dame football on the radio. Throughout his career, he fondly recalled marching to the Notre Dame victory march during grade school in Ohio. Holtz even had a “Notre Dame clause” written into his Minnesota contract that would allow him to leave for the Irish only if he took the Gophers to a bowl game.
That happened in 1985, opening the door for Holtz to lead the Irish.
“I could not possibly turn down the opportunity to come to Notre Dame,” he said during his introductory news conference. “I just felt this was the dream of a lifetime.”
Years later, in a video celebrating 125 years of Notre Dame football, quarterback Steve Beuerlein recalled the first team meeting held by Holtz.
“A lot of us were kind of slouched back in our chairs, had hats on, head back, just not overly impressed with what was going on,” Beuerlein said. “He got up to the podium and he looked at our team and he said, ‘Get your feet on the floor, sit up straight, take your hats off and get ready to play some football.’ We sat up and we were like, ‘Whoa, what is this guy all about?’ We knew right away that it was a whole new deal.”
Though Holtz came to be known for his one-liners and sense of humor, he was a disciplinarian as a coach and held his players to exceptionally high standards. That is a big reason why Notre Dame started to have success almost immediately.
In 1987, receiver Tim Brown won the Heisman while Notre Dame finished 8-4 and went to the Cotton Bowl. It would only be the beginning.
The 1988 season would end up being his finest. A victory over bitter rival Miami not only became a defining moment, but it remains one of the greatest college football games ever played. No. 1 Miami traveled to play No. 4 Notre Dame in a game that was dubbed “Catholics vs. Convicts.” The Irish had lost badly to the Hurricanes the previous season, spurring Holtz to create T-shirts for his players that read, “From these ashes, Notre Dame will rise.” In a tense, emotional game that went back and forth until the end, Pat Terrell batted down a 2-point conversion pass attempt from Miami’s Steve Walsh, preserving the 31-30 victory.
Notre Dame closed the season with a win over No. 2 USC, and then beat No. 3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl to cap a 12-0 season with the national championship.
In addition, Holtz led the Irish to two No. 2 finishes (1989, 1993).
He won 100 games at Notre Dame in 11 seasons, third all-time to Brian Kelly (106) and Knute Rockne (105). He also guided the Irish to a school-record 23 consecutive victories (1988-89) and nine straight appearances in January bowl games, a feat that has been unmatched.
“I think what he did, was he made that job look so easy, that some people took it for granted and thought anybody could do it,” former Notre Dame running back Autry Denson once said.
Holtz surprisingly walked away from Notre Dame in 1996 without much of an explanation. But trying to maintain what he accomplished after his first three seasons wore on him.
“I was tired of maintaining,” Holtz told The Associated Press in 2002. “… What I should have done was set dreams and goals and ambitions for this university and the football program that nobody thought was possible.”
Though Holtz left Notre Dame, he was not done coaching. In 1999, he took over at South Carolina, where he coached with his son, Skip. After going winless his first season, he went 8-4 in 2000, leading the Gamecocks to consecutive appearances in Jan. 1 bowl games for the first time in school history. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, and he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump in 2020.
His 249 victories rank 10th all-time among Division I/FBS head coaches.
Holtz joined ESPN in 2004 as a college football commentator, where he picked up the moniker “Dr. Lou.”
Holtz was born Jan. 6, 1937, in West Virginia, the son of a Navy veteran who served during World War II. He played college football at Kent State before going into coaching, and he worked under Woody Hayes at Ohio State in 1968. Holtz called Hayes “the greatest influence on my life with the possible exception of my wife,” in an interview with Cleveland.com.
After the 1968 season, Holtz took his first head coaching job at William & Mary before moving on to NC State and then the New York Jets for one season. Holtz returned to college football at Arkansas in 1977. That first season with the Razorbacks helped cement the perception that he was a magician at getting teams to believe and to win. No. 6 Arkansas stunned No. 2 Oklahoma 31-6 in the 1978 Orange Bowl despite missing three starters who were suspended, dashing the Sooners’ hopes for a national championship.
Holtz went 60-21-2 in seven seasons at Arkansas, but he resigned in 1983 after coming under fire for filming two television commercials in his office endorsing conservative North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms. They became friends while Holtz was coaching at NC State.
Throughout his career, Holtz’s wit, humor and life philosophies were on full display. Said Holtz, after clinching an Orange Bowl berth at Arkansas and being pelted with oranges on the field: “Thank God we didn’t get invited to the Gator Bowl.” On coaching, Holtz said, “Coaching is nothing more than eliminating mistakes before you get fired.” On pushing his players to work hard: “No one has ever drowned in sweat.”
In his book, “Wins, Losses and Lessons,” Holtz wrote, “When I die and people realize that I will not be resurrected in three days, they will forget me. That is the way it should be.”
Harry Kane will miss Bayern Munich‘s game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday with a calf injury in a blow to his hopes of breaking the Bundesliga record for most goals in a season.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said on Thursday the problem wasn’t serious but means Kane will play no part in Friday’s game, which could see Bayern open up a 14-point lead at the top of the table.
“He got a knock on his calf and hasn’t recovered yet,” Kompany said. “It’s nothing serious for the time being but we’d need maybe another a day for him to be involved. We’re pretty relaxed. Of course we would have liked Harry to be involved but these things happen.”
Kompany didn’t express concern Kane would miss Bayern’s visit to Atalanta in the Champions League round of 16 next week.
Kane has scored 30 goals in the Bundesliga and is 11 short of Robert Lewandowski‘s record of 41, with 10 games remaining.
Bayern will also be without Hiroki Ito and Alphonso Davies for Friday’s game, Kompany said.
Bayern, the defending Bundesliga champions, have an 11-point lead at the top of the table after beating second-placed Borussia Dortmund 3-2 last Saturday.
“We’ve had an 11-point lead before and we know how quickly that can change,” said Kompany.
“We’re just looking at our performance and our victories. I looked at the table once after the game against Dortmund and it looked good. But after that, once again the only thing that mattered was Gladbach. It sounds like a cliche, but it’s a way of life for me.”
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.
An explosive half-century by in-form opener Sanju Samson, backed by a disciplined all-round bowling display, helped India secure a narrow seven-run victory over England in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
The victory propelled India into the final, where they will be locking horns with New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Set to chase a daunting 254-run target, England could accumulate 246/7 in their 20 overs despite Jacob Bethell’s gutsy century.
England got off to a dismal start to the pursuit as they lost opener Phil Salt (five) and captain Harry Brook (seven) inside five overs with just 38 runs on the board.
Following the early dismissals, Bethell walked out to bat at No.4 and shared a 26-run partnership for the third wicket with Jos Buttler, who made a 17-ball 25 before falling victim to Varun Chakravarthy on the penultimate delivery of the batting powerplay.
England then suffered another setback to their run chase in the eighth over when Axar Patel cleaned up Tom Banton (17) after being hit for two consecutive sixes, and consequently slipped to 95/4.
Bethell then eventually received formidable support at the other end in the form of all-rounder Will Jacks, and the duo displayed grit to keep England in the hunt as they put together 77 runs off just 39 deliveries amid their fifth-wicket partnership, which culminated with the latter’s dismissal in the 14th over.
Jacks made a notable contribution for England in the run chase with a 20-ball 35, comprising four fours and two sixes.
Bethell then shared a 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Sam Curran, who fell victim to Hardik Pandya in the penultimate over after scoring a 14-ball 18.
England’s batting mainstay Bethell eventually got run out on the first delivery of the final over and walked back after top-scoring with a valiant 105 off 48 deliveries, featuring eight fours and seven sixes.
Pandya was the standout bowler for India, taking two wickets for 38 runs in his four overs, while Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with one apiece.
England captain Harry Brook’s decision to field first backfired as the home side piled up 253/7 in their 20 overs.
India, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as their left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma (nine) was dismissed by Will Jacks in the second over with just 20 runs on the board.
The early setback, however, did not bother India as their top-order duo of Ishan Kishan and Samson raised 97 runs for the second wicket off 44 deliveries until Adil Rashid dismissed the former, who remained a notable contributor for the co-hosts with an 18-ball 39.
Samson was then involved in a 43-run partnership for the third wicket with all-rounder Shivam Dube until eventually falling victim to Jacks in the 14th over. He remained the top-scorer for India with a blazing 89 off 42 deliveries, studded with seven sixes and eight fours.
India suffered another major setback to their batting expedition an over later when Adil got their captain Suryakumar Yadav stumped, who could score 11 off six deliveries.
With the scoreboard reading 190/4 in 15.4 overs, Dube was joined by fellow all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the middle, and the duo put together 32 runs for the fifth wicket before the former was run out due to a mix-up, coupled with a direct hit by England captain Brook.
Dube remained a significant run-getter for India in the high-stakes T20 World Cup 2026 fixture, scoring 43 off 25 deliveries with the help of four sixes and a four.
Following his departure, Pandya and Tilak Varma ensured an equally dominant finish with the bat for India with blistering cameos, contributing 27 and 21, respectively. The duo also shared a 24-run partnership.
For England, Jacks and Adil bagged two wickets each, while Archer could pick up one.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Kyler Murray’s tenure with the Arizona Cardinals is coming to an end.
The team reportedly informed the former No. 1 overall pick this week that he will be released at the start of the new league year, making him a free agent eligible to sign with any team, including, potentially, one in Major League Baseball.
Prior to declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft, Murray was a two-sport athlete playing both football and baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Heisman Trophy winner threw for over 4,000 yards and 42 touchdowns during the 2018 season, but the then-Oakland Athletics still selected him with the 9th overall pick in the 2018 draft.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray throws a pass during the first half of an NFL game against the Tennessee Titans in Glendale, Ariz., on Oct. 5, 2025. (Rick Scuteri/AP)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
He signed a contract with a $4.66 million signing bonus, but Murray would forgo his senior year at Oklahoma and declare for the NFL Draft. After seven years in the NFL, Murray’s MLB career still remains a possibility.
“Kyler is an elite NFL quarterback and I’m sure there are plenty of opportunities for him to continue his football career,” A’s general manager David Forst told MLB.com on Wednesday.
“That said, he and his baseball representatives know that we’re always open to him exploring a return to baseball with the A’s if that time ever comes.”
Kyler Murray, the Oakland Athletics’ No. 1 draft pick and outfielder from the University of Oklahoma, looks on during batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on June 15, 2018. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Murray, 28, will likely have several options during the offseason. He is currently owed $36.8 million.
His career with the Cardinals has been marred by injuries and other controversies, including the study clause that was initially included in his five-year, $230.5 million deal signed in 2022. The clause was later removed. He appeared in just five games last season after suffering a foot injury, which later landed him on injured reserve.
The Cardinals finished 3-14 behind backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett and later fired head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Kyler Murray, the Oakland Athletics’ number one draft pick and outfielder from the University of Oklahoma, takes batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on June 15, 2018. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“To everyone that supported me and showed kindness to my family and I during my time in AZ, from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Murray posted in a farewell message to fans on social media. “I wanted nothing more than to be the one to end the 77-year drought for this organization, I am sorry I failed us. I wish this community and my brothers nothing but the best.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Related Article
US Senate backs Trump’s Iran operations after House vote
Harry Kane calf injury imperils Bundesliga record chase
Here’s Every Country Directly Impacted by the War on Iran
What are Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities?
India Us Trade Deal: Fresh look at India-US trade deal? May be ‘rebalanced’ if circumstances change, says Piyush Goyal – The Times of India
Attock Cement’s acquisition approved | The Express Tribune
-
Politics1 week agoWhat are Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities?
-
Business7 days ago
India Us Trade Deal: Fresh look at India-US trade deal? May be ‘rebalanced’ if circumstances change, says Piyush Goyal – The Times of India
-
Business1 week ago
Attock Cement’s acquisition approved | The Express Tribune
-
Fashion1 week agoPolicy easing drives Argentina’s garment import surge in 2025
-
Politics1 week agoUS arrests ex-Air Force pilot for ‘training’ Chinese military
-
Business6 days agoGreggs to reveal trading amid pressure from cost of living and weight loss drugs
-
Sports6 days agoLPGA legend shares her feelings about US women’s Olympic wins: ‘Gets me really emotional’
-
Fashion7 days agoTexwin Spinning showcasing premium cotton yarn range at VIATT 2026