Lou Holtz: A Christian Who was a Success at Every Colllege He Coached

There have been a lot of successful head coaches in college football. In the past, one might think of Woody Hayes, Paul "Bear" Bryant, or others. Today, one might think of Jim Tressel, Bobby Bowden, or Joe Paterno. Only one coach in the history of college football, however, has ever led six different teams to bowl games, and he did it at each school within his first two years there. He is also the only coach to lead four schools to top 20 finishes. Lou Holtz is quick to not only speak about how others could also accomplish a lot in life if they have a goal and passion for what they do, as he did coaching football, but also his faith in Jesus Christ.

Lou Holtz, who only went to college because of the insistence of his parents, was the head coach at Notre Dame, Minnesota, William and Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, and South Carolina. He amassed an overall record of 249-132-7, the eighth most wins in college football history in Division 1-A, including a national championship in 1988 at Notre Dame. His bowl record was 12-8-2. He not only led all of his teams to bowl games within two years of coaching at each school, and some of them to multiple bowls, but his accomplishment might even be considered more impressive when considering that he coached at some schools that were not traditional football powerhouses: William and Mary, Minnesota, and South Carolina.

Lou Holtz tells everyone that to be a success, people need to do something they have a passion for, something they love, and to have a goal to strive for, and he is also quick to tell of his faith in Jesus Christ.

A faith in Christ has been a part of his life since he was very young, and Lou Holtz, who grew up in a poor family did not want much else. He only wanted a car, a girl, five dollars, and a job in the mall. College was not a part of his plans, and he only went at the insistence of his parents. He did not really want to go even though his high school coach said that could help him become a coach.