Republican lawmakers mourn legendary football coach Lou Holtz
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Prominent Republican lawmakers in Congress and other high-ranking officials from across the country shared their condolences following the death of legendary college football coach Lou Holtz on Wednesday.
GOP figures who spoke included Sens. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama; Todd Young, R-Indiana; Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas; and Lindsey Graham, R.S.C.; Representatives Greg Murphy, R.N.C.; David Rouzer, R.N.C.; Erin Houchin, R-Indiana; and Steve Womack, R-Arkansas; and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis; Indiana Governor Mike Braun; Linda McMahon, United States Secretary of Education; and Rudy Giuliani.
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At the time of publication, prominent Democratic leaders appeared to be silent on Holtz’s passing, including prominent Democrats with football experience.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who worked as an assistant high school football coach; Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., who was a recruiting target for Holtz in 1986 as a college prospect; Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, who played in the NFL; and Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Ill., who played football for the University of Illinois, have not made any posts acknowledging Holtz’s death.
News Digital has reached out to the offices of Waltz, Booker, Allred and Buckner for comment.
Lou Holtz, who spent 33 years leading teams, including the Notre Dame fighting the Irishdied on Wednesday. He was 89 years old.
The team released a statement from Holtz’s family, saying he died surrounded by his family at his home in Orlando. Florida.
“Louis Leo ‘Lou’ Holtz, legendary college football coach, Hall of Famer, best-selling author and one of America’s most influential motivational voices, passed away at the age of 89 in Orlando, Florida, surrounded by his family,” the statement read.
“Born on January 6, 1937 in Follansbee, West Virginia, Holtz rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most respected figures in college athletics.
“During a remarkable five-decade career, he led college programs at William & Mary, NC State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina. He transformed every team he inherited and captured the 1988 National Championship with the Fighting Irish. Holtz was preceded in death by his loving wife of more than 50 years, Beth, with whom he shared a life based on faith, devotion and service.”
Head coach Lou Holtz of the Arkansas Razorbacks walks on the sidelines as his team faces the Oklahoma Sooner in the 1978 Orange Bowl on January 2, 1978, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. (Photos by Rich Clarkson/NCAA via Getty Images)
Holtz had reportedly entered hospice care in late January.
Holtz was the first coach in NCAA history to take six different football programs to bowl games, including William & Mary (1969-71), NC State (1972-75), Arkansas (1977-83) and South Carolina (1999-2004). The only team with which he could not achieve the feat was Minnesota, which he coached from 1984 to 1985.
In recent years, Holtz has been a strong supporter of the President donald trumpHe even said in February 2024 that Trump needed to “coach America back to greatness.”
Near the end of Trump’s first term, shortly after the former president joe biden After defeating him in the 2020 election, Trump awarded Holtz the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.
“I’ll say this about Lou: Everyone loves him,” Trump said during the ceremony in December 2020. “Everyone respects him. He’s very tough, and yet everyone respects Lou. He’s just… he’s amazing. They love him and they respect him. Sometimes, it’s a combination that doesn’t fit, you know? They respect, but you’re… you’re something. “I never coached football; “I coached life,” he said. And it’s true. His players really always loved him.”
Head coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish watches from the sideline during a game against the Stanford Cardinal on October 7, 1989, at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California. (David Madison/Getty Images)
Holtz, who also spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, was humbled by the honor.
“It is the highest honor or award you can receive and I receive it with mixed emotions. First of all, I am honored,” Holtz said.News and friends” later. “There are many more people much more worthy than me, I can assure you.
“No one is more grateful than me. So I’m excited to have this opportunity and at the same time, I’m excited to get it from President Trump. The president that I admire and respect. I think he did a tremendous job.”
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At the time, Holtz also called Trump “one of the great presidents of my lifetime.”
Holtz finished his coaching career with a record of 249-132-7 in 388 games. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to Title IX enforcement and in mainstream media outlets such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The News and ESPN.com.