Irish Breakdown

Legendary, National Championship Winning Coach Lou Holtz Dies at 89

Holtz led Notre Dame to the 1988 national championship and won 100 games with the Fighting Irish between 1986 and 1996.
Nick Shepkowski|
Jan 4, 2011; New Orleans, LA, USA; ESPN analyst Lou Holtz on set prior to the Arkansas Razorbacks against the Ohio State Buckeyes game for the 2011 Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome .
Jan 4, 2011; New Orleans, LA, USA; ESPN analyst Lou Holtz on set prior to the Arkansas Razorbacks against the Ohio State Buckeyes game for the 2011 Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome . | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish

One of the most recognizable coaches in the history of college football and one of the greatest to ever coach at Notre Dame has died.

Lou Holtz, who led the Fighting Irish to the 1988 national championship and nine-straight bowl appearances, died Wednesday. He was 89.

Holtz came to Notre Dame at one of the program's darkest periods. After the heights it reached under both Ara Parseghian and Dan Devine, it had fallen on tough times under Gerry Faust, who coached from 1981-1985.

Holtz restored the roar to Notre Dame football in a big way, leading the Fighting Irish to nine-straight New Year's Day bowl games from the 1987 through 1995.

Some of Notre Dame's most memorable moments in the modern era came under Holtz. The famous "Catholics vs. Convicts" win over Miami and No. 1 vs. No. 2 battles against USC in 1988 as well as the "Game of the Century" against Florida State in 1993 were just a few of his biggest wins.

After leaving Notre Dame following the 1996 season, Holtz didn't stay away from coaching forever. He accepted the South Carolina job a few years later, where he coached from 1999 through 2004.

Following that, he spent nearly a decade at ESPN where his segments and arguments with former Pitt offensive lineman Mark May were the thing of legend.

The way I will forever remember Holtz will be as a man who carried his pride of Notre Dame with him more so than perhaps anyone else.

We'll have more throughout the night on this here at Notre Dame On SI.

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Nick Shepkowski
NICK SHEPKOWSKI

Managing Editor for Notre Dame On SI. Started covering Chicago sports teams for WSCR the Score, and over the years worked with CBS Radio, Audacy, NBC Sports, and FOX Sports as a contributor before running the Notre Dame wire site for USA TODAY.

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