My Unrequited Love Affair with Lou Holtz: ESPN's "Dr. Lou" Rings My Bell!

I absolutely, positively adore Lou Holtz. For those of you who know who Holtz is, this may come as a bit of a surprise. Yes, he was born in 1937 and bears a strong resemblance to...oh, I don't know, Frank Perdue, the now-deceased 'King of Chickens' from Maryland's Eastern Shore. You know the type: longish face, somewhat pinched features, prominent ears. (I once met the first Mrs. Perdue, after she had divorced the chicken man. Having been dumped for a younger chick - I just couldn't resist, sorry! - she had little good to say about the man.) To add even more interest, Lou Holtz also wears glasses with lens the size of glass Coke bottles. Remember what your mama told you: There's more - much more - to a man than 'good looks'.

Watching ESPN's Sports Center on January 1, 2009, I was greeted by the sight of the 81 year old Holtz, bedecked in a party hat, surrounded by streamers and balloons, sharing his own New Year's Resolution with the audience: "Make a difference in people's lives." Short. Simple. To the point. Most of all, meaningful and thought-provoking - just like Lou.

"You choose your friends, you choose your environment, you choose your actions. And you will be held accountable." - Lou Holtz

Holtz is more than just a television sports analyst and commentator. He is an author, motivational speaker, former NFL and NCAA head coach; in fact, Holtz is the only coach in NCAA history to have led six different college programs to the final top 20 rankings. A multiple winner of National Coach of the Year honors, Holtz joined ESPN in 2004 as a college football analyst; he works out of their Bristol, Connecticut studios, most often with Rece Davis and Mark May. On April 21, 2007, Holtz served as the honorary Head Coach against Ara Parseghian for Notre Dame's Fighting Irish annual Blue-Gold football game, guiding his Gold team to a 10-6 victory. On May 1, 2008, Holtz was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

"Welcome to the Lou Holtz Show. Unfortunately, I'm Lou Holtz." - Lou Holtz

This season, ESPN, inspired by the wackiness of having so storied a coach as Holtz as a commentator, instituted the "Dr. Lou" segment of Holtz's broadcasts. Typically, Holtz appears during the college football seas on pre-game and half-time segments, as well as postgame wraps. His "Dr. Lou" segments focus on the knowledge of college football that Holtz possesses, so much so that he could, only in the world of ESPN, be awarded an honorary 'doctorate' in the field of ...well, college football. Unfortunately, his appearances on ESPN have not been without incident. In mid-October of 2008, during a heated debate about the leadership qualities in a discussion regarding University of Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez, Holtz stated that "You know, Hitler was a great leader, too." I happened to have caught that segment live on televison, and nearly fell off of my chair. Holtz offered a heartfelt apology the following day to ESPN viewers for his lapse in judgement.

"Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity." - Lou Holtz

Was there adversity in the life of Lou Holtz which shaped him into a man of character, the man whom I deeply admire?

Holtz was born in 1937 (yes, nineteen thirty-seven) in Follansbee, West Virginia, and retains the distinctive twang of his native state. He also appears to actually work very hard to overcome both the accent and a possible speech impediment, one that he disguises quite well. (Holtz is an advocate for people with speech impediments, and donates both his time and money to the causes of children suffering from such disorders.)

A graduate of Kent State University, Class of 1959, Holtz began his coaching career at the University of Iowa, where he also received a Master's degree. And from there, his carousel of coaching began.

"Don't ever ask a player to do something that he doesn't have the ability to do. He'll just question your ability as a coach, not his ability as an athlete." - Lou Holtz

The next stop was as an assistant football coach at The College of William and Mary, followed by a stint at the University of Connecticut, the University of South Carolina, and Ohio State University. He also spent one year in the NFL as the head coach of the New York Jets. His most memorable - and impressive - coaching career were the ten years spent as the Coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he developed the reputation of being a strict, discipline-minded taskmaster.

"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it." - Lou Holtz

Holtz's greatest success came as the coach of the Fighting Irish; between 1988 and 1993, his teams had a 64-9-1 record, and he took teams to nine consecutive Bowl games (a Notre Dame record that still stands). On September 13, 2008, Holtz was invited to attend the unveiling of his statue on campus - an elegant ceremony that took place nearly twenty-two years to the day when Holtz coached his very first Irish team against the Michigan Wolverines.

"I try not to ask people things. I tell them. See, I'm the coach." - Lou Holtz

Holtz had a lifetime contract with Notre Dame, one from which he walked away in 1996. Speculation abounded that Holtz had suffered a nervous/emotional/mental breakdown of sorts. When questioned as to why he was leaving the Irish, all Holtz would say was that "It was the right thing to do."

He has been married to Beth Barcus Holtz since July, 1961; they are the parents of four children, three of whom graduated from Notre Dame. Oldest son Skip Holtz has recently found considerable success as the head football coach of East Carolina University, where his team played (but lost) in a 2008 bowl game.

Think for a moment about the personal lives - or lack thereof - of football coaches on both the college and professional level. Mike Holmgren's wife, a nurse, spends most of her time as a missionary volunteer in South America while Holmgren struggles through his last year as the Seahawks' coach. Andy Reid's two sons have both been convicted of drug related charges, and served time in jail. The jury is still out on their future fate; son Brett, caught on live videotape by a local television station as he was herded into the courthouse, gave a shout out: "Hi Mom, Hi Dad". Tony Dungy's oldest son committed suicide in Florida. The life of a football coach is not an easy one by any stretch. For Lou Holtz to have succeeded both on the field and off for so many years is a true tribute to his character as a man.

My favorite Lou Holtz quote? "The best present that you can give to your children is to show them how much you love their spouse."

How can you not love this gangly, bespectacled guy from West Virginia who, against great odds, carved out a permanent legacy among generations of football fans. Oh, Lou! You're an inspiration and a true gentleman.