Split Zone Duo
Split Zone Duo: College Football Podcast
Lou Holtz (1937-2026)
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Lou Holtz (1937-2026)

Our podcast obituary for a giant of college football.
© Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

Alex and Richard go through the one-of-a-kind football life lived by Lou Holtz, who died on March 4 at age 89. In this episode, we discuss:

  • 1:46: Holtz’s Saban-like upbringing and why Notre Dame was the apple of his eye from an early age

  • 4:14: William & Mary, Holtz’s first head coaching stop

  • 7:25: NC State, where he was an all-timer

  • 11:13: The Jets, a one-year misadventure

  • 17:15: Arkansas, where Holtz was “the guy after the guy” and managed to stick the landing after replacing Frank Broyles … for a while

  • 24:41: Minnesota, where Holtz’s eye was elsewhere

  • 28:15: Notre Dame, a school that already had a unique football tradition but that Holtz took to another level on the field and mythologically

  • 37:25: South Carolina, a strong closing act

  • 39:16: Where Holtz’s resume is truly exceptional

  • 42:58: Holtz as an NCAA perp, TV commentator, irascible storyteller, and guy who made Ryan Day really, really angry

  • 48:49: Holtz’s endorsement of Jesse Helms, and a discussion of the cognitive dissonance that he deployed throughout his career

Producer: Anthony Vito

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