Lou Holtz’s visitation and funeral commemorates a life of ‘tough love’

Former Notre Dame Football head coach Lou Holtz, who led the team to a national championship in 1988, died on March 4, 2026. He was 89.

A devout Catholic his entire life, the ceremonies celebrating the life of Lou Holtz began on Sunday at 7 p.m. with a visitation in the Sacred Heart Basilica. The University confirmed that for the two days of events, over 1,000 people attended. Students and faculty, former players and well-wishers came to pay their respects. The visitation was scheduled for three hours, had a two-hour long line and was staged in the Main Building due to inclement weather. The Holtz family greeted every person individually to thank them for their attendance. 

His celebration of life began at 1 p.m. on Monday, with members of the public who wished to attend waiting in line for several hours to gain entrance to the Basilica. The earliest member of the public arrived at 4:30 a.m.

“There’s some things you only get to do once. You can skip a class. There’s going to be class on Wednesday. God forbid a football game, there will be more next year; but you only get to memorialize such a great person as coach Holtz one time,” freshman Ben Place, an attendee at the funeral Mass, said.

“I was a long-term employee. He was my first football coach, and I always just held him in high regard,” Lori Maurer, a Notre Dame retiree of the office of human resources, said. “I just felt that this would be an opportunity that I didn’t want to pass up.” 

The service, celebrated by University President Rev. Robert Dowd aided by a homily by former University President John Jenkins, was concelebrated by roughly 30 members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, including Arthur Colgan, Auxiliary Bishop of Chosica, Peru, and Daniel Jenky, Bishop Emeritus of Peoria, Illinois. 

The Holtz family participated as well, with Beth Messaglia lectoring the first reading, Wisdom 3:1-9, Katherine Holtz lectoring the second, Romans 8: 3:6-35, 37-39 and Liz Messaglia ’22, Lou Holtz’s youngest daughter, reading the Prayers of the Faithful.

In the homily, Jenkins reflected on the former coach’s character, illustrating the multitude of ways his commitment to faith was demonstrated in his actions.

“Even that relentlessly demanding side of Lou Holtz came from a place of love,” Jenkins said. “As his son, Skip, put it, Lou demanded so much of you because he believed in you even more than you believed in yourself. Lou’s tough love was indeed genuine and deep. He wanted you to be the very best version of yourself and refused to accept anything less.”

Jenkins noted that this care toward his players extended beyond their time playing for him. Lou Holtz traveled across the country to support his players’ endeavors in other aspects of life, from speaking at campaigns to attending dinners.

Among all the teams he coached, Jenkins argued that the most important team was his family. As a devout husband, Lou Holtz walked with Beth through a two-decade battle with cancer, including 83 radiation treatments.

Describing their relationship, Jenkins said, “Lou Holtz made the people around him better. Beth Holtz made Lou better.”

Following Communion, Skip Holtz, who also made a career in college football coaching, delivered a eulogy.

“He was a complicated man ... everyone in this church has seen a different side of him,” Skip Holtz said. “He believed circumstances don’t define who you are, but choices do.” 

Recounting his father’s coaching career, he said, “He built his life on trust, commitment and love. He was a builder. He found a way to believe in you more than you believed in yourself with a positive attitude and an incredible passion.” 

The lesson of Holtz’s life, Skip Holtz said, is “to care more about doing for others than you do for yourself. When you think of Lou Holtz, find the persons closest to you and ask them, ‘What can I do for you?’ If we can all do that, we will continue his legacy by making this a little warmer, better place than we found it. Yes, he was successful, but most of all, he was incredibly significant and he changed people’s lives for the better. He made you want to be a better Christian, a better person, a better husband, a better father, a better student.” 

He concluded, saying, “If you met him, you were happy. If you interacted with him, you were lucky. If you were friends with him, you were favored. If you were coached by him, you were fortunate. If he was your dad, you were blessed. I love you dad. Rest in peace.” 

Lou Holtz’s casket was carried by his son, Skip Holtz, and grandsons, Kevin Holtz, Try Holtz, Chad Holtz, Aaron Holtz, Zach Messaglia and Jacob Messaglia from the Basilica while the tunes “Notre Dame, Our Mother,” and “Amazing Grace” were sung by the congregation. Arriving at the main circle, the trumpet section of the Band of the Fighting Irish played the Alma Mater. Led by a Notre Dame Police Department car, the hearse drove down Notre Dame Avenue to Cedar Grove Cemetery, followed by the Holtz Family, Dowd, Jenkins, Basilica rector Brian Ching and members of former football teams among others.  

Mike Nolan, a friend of Lou Holtz since about 1991, said, “I got to know his whole family. It was a thrill to be on the sideline, in the locker room and all that, but priceless to see him as a husband, a father, a friend and as a veteran. That was the greatest blessing of all.” 

Freshman Colin Gibbons, who attended the funeral and watched the procession, said, “Both of my parents were Notre Dame alumni, class of ‘95, when Lou was still coaching on campus, and it would’ve meant a lot to them to be able to go to this and to be able to be present and support such a great man who had really shaped their time at Notre Dame and I think the time of many at Notre Dame.” 

As the hearse entered the gates of the cemetery, a lone bagpiper played a final tribute to the Irish legend.