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Notre Dame Football Legend Lou Holtz to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

By Daniel Morrison

UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1990: Head Coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish gets carried off the field by his players after a victory during an NCAA Football game circa 1990. Holtz coached the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 1986-1996. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1990: Head Coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish gets carried off the field by his players after a victory during an NCAA Football game circa 1990. Holtz coached the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 1986-1996. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz will be the recipient of a prestigious award, courtesy of President Donald Trump, who Holtz has supported for years.

Notre Dame football fans will undoubtedly remember Lou Holtz as the last Notre Dame coach to win a National Championship, back in 1988. It was, perhaps, a little disappointing that he didn’t win multiple national championships with Irish. Still, his success was undeniable. He went 110-30-2 with Notre Dame, and he had four top 5 finishes over the course of a decade in South Bend.

Before coming to Notre Dame, Holtz spent time at Minnesota, Arkansas, NC State, and William & Mary. He found success with those programs, though not nearly as much as he’d find at Notre Dame, finishing with seven top 25 finishes in the AP Poll. After his retirement from Notre Dame, He would go on to coach South Carolina, when they were considered a joke in the SEC. His first season they were winless, but things quickly turned around for Holtz’s Gamecocks. They’d finished ranked for the next two seasons.

He’d retire following the 2004 season, and move into broadcasting. In 2008 Holtz was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

23 Nov1996: Head coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish addresses the crowd at the completion of his final home game as Notre Dame head coach during the Irish’s 62-0 victory over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend,
23 Nov1996: Head coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish addresses the crowd at the completion of his final home game as Notre Dame head coach during the Irish’s 62-0 victory over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, /

Holtz is going to receive another honor, as announced by Donald Trump. The retired football coach will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Trump referred to Holtz as a friend, and that he had received letters recommending him for the honor.

For his part, Lou Holtz has been an open supporter of President Trump, having recently spoken at the Republican National Convention. He also endorsed Trump for the Presidency back in 2016, and has been a long time supporter of other Republican politicians, like Dan Quayle.

Over the past few months Trump has been emphasizing the importance of college football, as a loud proponent for playing a 2020 season and meeting with the B1G 10 over their decision to cancel the season. He also attended the Alabama-LSU game last season. Now, honoring Holtz is another bullet point for the list of things Trump has done in the college football world.

Next. Ranking Notre Dame's most impactful players (25-21). dark

Besides coaching football, Holtz has written numerous books, and has had a career in broadcasting sports and now politics. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor, and he will join the likes of Walt Disney, Tom Hanks, Toni Morrison, Elie Wiesel, Bob Dylan, and Alan Page.

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