Urban Meyer and Jerome Bettis Share Epic Lou Holtz Stories

Bettis joined Meyer on The Triple Option podcast as the two discussed the legendary Notre Dame head coach

Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jerome Bettis on the field before a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The college football world lost a legend recently when Lou Holtz passed away at the age of 89.

Holtz's funeral was held Monday on Notre Dame's campus, as many of the biggest names in the sport and those associated with Fighting Irish football were in attendance.

Two of those were Urban Meyer and Jerome Bettis.

Bettis is of course one of the best players to ever play for Notre Dame, becoming a first round pick in the NFL draft after being a force in the Fighting Irish backfield.

Meyer gets remembered for winning national championships as a head coach at Florida and Ohio State, but got his big break at Notre Dame. Meyer was the wide receivers coach at Notre Dame in 1996-2000, which included Holtz's final season in South Bend.

Meyer had Bettis on The Triple Option podcast to remember Holtz, and some of the best stories of Lou were shared by both.

From Urban Meyer being so paranoid of being late to a Holtz-led meeting that he made an all-time mistake to a look behind the curtain at some of the non-traditional ways Holtz motivated Bettis during his career, the episode is well worth the 25 or so minutes for any Notre Dame fan.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Takeaway

One thing I've noticed this week is that seemingly every former player of Holtz's has an impression of Lou, especially when he's trying to motivate.

My favorite from Bettis in there is his about being on the cover of Blue and Gold Illustrated. Holtz tears him down in front of the entire team, makes him feel like he's on an island, and then just proceeds to drive off in a golf cart right after, as if nothing even happened.

I find myself wondering if Holtz would have been successful in today's age of college football. The guy clearly knew what buttons to press and how to get the most out of his teams, but would some of these things work today?

Or would a guy like Jerome Bettis or so many of the other stars who played for Holtz be on the next bus out of town, thanks to the transfer portal?

Holtz will be missed by the Notre Dame community but really from the entire college football world. Whether it was for what he did as a head coach or how he entertained as a commentator on ESPN, Holtz made a lasting impression on the game and it's highlighted about as well as I've seen from Meyer and Bettis.