It's impossible to deny the impact that legendary head coach Lou Holtz had on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program.
Even beyond the 1988 National Championship, he shaped the program into what it is today, and for that, the Fighting Irish should be forever grateful.
That includes current Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, and he clearly knows that. When he was recently asked about Holtz's impact on himself, Freeman didn't have enough kind words for the former legend.
"Growing up... you knew about Notre Dame football, and when you thought about Notre Dame football, you thought of Lou Holtz," Freeman said.
Marcus Freeman credits Lou Holtz's intentionality
"When I became the head coach here, without hesitation, he reached out and was just a mentor, offered support," Freeman said. "He knew what it was like to sit in the chair I sit in every day and, you know, the thing I remember about Coach Holtz is, he's got so much wisdom, but he would always reach out during tough times."
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Freeman was named the Fighting Irish's head coach in 2021, after acting as the program's defensive coordinator for one season. Since then, he's only lost 12 games, so those calls specifically after losses must have been few and far between.
However, it was clear as Freeman spoke about Holtz that the legendary head coach meant more to him than just someone who could give him advice about the game.
"He means so much to this University, to me personally, and he'll be missed," Freeman said.
Holtz, of course, coached the Fighting Irish for 11 years, leading Notre Dame to the '88 natty and to a 100-30-2 overall record. He was a legend, a beloved figure, and Freeman summed all of that up perfectly.