re: Coach Holtz ....

He recently turned 89. Talk about a life well lived. Much respect to Coach Holtz.

I remember one of his first press conferences at South Carolina, he said, “South Carolina must have the cleanest cars in the country. All the trash is by the side of the road.” Only Holtz could get away with saying that at his new home.

He probably burned Arkansas like that sometime, but I don’t remember.

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Coach Holtz ....

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I'll probably butcher it, but I'm always reminded of a story that Houston Nutt tells when he was a young GA under Holtz at Arkansas.

After a practice, the coaching staff was reviewing film and Holtz became extremely angry with the performance of the fullbacks, pausing to puff on his corncob pipe: "Who in here coaches fullbacks?" "That's me, Coach," answers Nutt, sheepishly from the back. Holtz again reiterates the proper technique and tells him what his expectations are.

Houston Nutt tells this story by impersonating Coach Holtz, which he's pretty good at, and the tense, high-pressure centerpiece revolves around him puffing on this pipe.

This exchange repeats itself some time later, and again, Holtz, visibly agitated with "smoke rising from his pipe," demanded to know who coaches fullbacks, to which Nutt responds "Coach, I went over that play 500 times."

Holtz then shuts off the projector and explodes that if the players still couldn't get it right, then 500 was not enough, questioning why "Coach" Nutt didn't go over it 1,000, 1,500, or 2,000 times, essentially until the job was done?

He shares this story to not only illustrate the intensity of working under Holtz, but the life lessons the experience taught him in accountability and the pursuit of perfection he learned as a young coach.


Rest well, Coach. You were a good one.

I met Lou holtz in myrtlr beach area once in line at a hotdog joint. Me shocked to randomly walk into Lou says “you coach holtz” he said “yeah” with a big smile. I asked “what you doing here coach” he goes “well getting a hot dog, I think that’s why we’re all here” he laughed and turned back around.

Sad news! Prayers for Coach Holtz and his family.

He’s a National treasure.

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Please Pray For Coach Holtz. He Has Entered Hospice Care.

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In times like this, I only know one way to handle these things and that is with what I consider humor. I can't help but imagine what Holtz would sound like reading the title to that article.