Share your best Lou story, please
I’m just devastated today.
So many people have had the pleasure of meeting Lou - in airports, at conferences, etc. The stories are universally great - people alway cite his kindness, humility and humor.
I don’t have a Lou story, having never met him. His first year as head coach was my senior year at ND. He actually came to my dorm to give a talk, if you can believe that. Of course, we were all smitten. I will never forget seeing him on the Stepan basketball courts during Bookstore Basketball. Tim Brown was on his team and they were playing a team that featured Ricky Watters. Think about that - a pickup basketball game that included Lou Holtz, Tim Brown and Ricky Watters.
Share your Lou story, please.
Replies to: Share your best Lou story, please
I was in Dallas trying to get home and got one of the last seats on
A plane home. As I boarded I saw coach Holtz in first class and blurted out - Coach, I am a huge fan, Go Irish!! I was not expecting his response - He says, what seat are you in, and I have an awkward pause and finally say seat 32 D. Well a few minutes later I look up and there is Coach Holtz standing in the aisle. He says tell me about your love for ND, and I tell him about going to campus with my son several times for games and how magical it is to be there and how great it is to share this with my son - who was about 12 at the time. Lou takes out his personal stationary which had a photo of him golfIng with Bill Clinton and Jim Leland and he writes a letter to my son: Dear Alex, I could write an entire novel with all the wonderful things your father has told me about you. As you grow up, I want you to study like a champion, play like a champion and love like a champion. Signed Lou Holtz. One of the most inspiring moments ever. We framed the letter and it hangs under a ND football helmet in my son’s room. God Bless Coach and thank you for going out of your way to be exceptional to me.
Great story! Demonstrates the measure of the man...
(no message)
I shared mine in the "RIP Lou" a few threads down.
(no message)
Not a story, but a quote
(no message)
Re: Not a story, but a quote
(no message)
I don't have a good story...but I wish I knew how he did that newspaper trick
I'm sure I could look it up. But why ruin the magic.
2008 Pre-gaming in Monogram Room
I think it was the day his stature was dedicated. It was also during the days when he and Mark May used to go tete-de-tete on ESPN.
He was willingly taking pictures with many folks and my nieces and nephew were in line. When their turn came up, he recognized a friend across the room and said "I'll be right back." After he finished, he came back and my brother called out to his son, Mark, to be ready. Lou commented "I'm not so sure you should use that name around here." And he then took the most amazing picture with them with his patented smile.
He was gracious and very accommodating to these strangers considering the circumstances.
I talked to him once on his SiriusXM radio golf show
I asked him if there was anything any in football coaching would help me with my golf coaching. I don't remember his answer, unfortunately.
Also saw him once at the Plymouth Holiday Inn where the team stayed Friday nights before home games and where my mom worked, and also at the Indianapolis airport where we shared a plane to South Bend. An older guy came up to him, a current ND undergrad at his age (50s), and told Lou that Lou inspired him to return to college. Coach was extremely gracious and genuinely happy for the man.
Here's one from The Bus
(no message)
Link: https://x.com/JeromeBettis36/status/2029371040346869792
Consent Management