RECOLLECTIONS ABOUT LOU HOLTZ

An anonymous commenter provided us with an opportunity to say a little more about legendary football coach Lou Holtz:

"Lou Holtz.. Great coach..great individual....conservative christian beliefs. Still believes in hard work and respecting our flag and anthem."

Coach Holtz Leading Notre Dame onto the Field

I agree on all counts.  

My first wife seldom called me at work as we met for lunch every day.  Two exceptions to that were to tell me John Lennon had been killed and then, later, that Lou Holtz was out as coach of the Razorbacks, both items stunning news.

I never met Holtz during my years in Arkansas, but a couple of my friends did, finding him very gracious and self-deprecating.  One said he looked frail.

Holtz, who played linebacker at Kent State, used to describe himself in this way: 

“I stand 5 feet 10, weigh 152 pounds, wear glasses, speak with a lisp, and have a physique that appears like I've been afflicted with beriberi or scurvy most of my life.”

His coach's shows on Channel 7 in Little Rock were not to be missed as he talked rapidfire, usually poor-mouthing his team and making the other team, even hapless Rice or TCU sound like a juggernaut.

Lou had as many one liners as a typical comedian, but would also say things like:

"If we don't play our best game of the year, we won't be able to stay on the field with them."

"Their passing game scares the heebeegeebees out of me.  We don't have anyone that can stay with their receivers."

"Well, the good news is that I see a light at the end of the tunnel.  The bad news is that it's an oncoming  freight train."

But, that act was only for the media and fans.

Holtz told his team just the opposite, just as told them in 1981 when number #1 Texas came to play unranked Arkansas:

"When the press come into the locker room after the game, tell them it was not an upset."

Holtz was known as a disciplinarian.

Just before the 1978 Orange Bowl against #2 Oklahoma, coached by Barry Switzer, Arkansas' three best players were caught in a scandal involving a female student in her dorm room.

There were rape allegations.

Holtz suspended all three immediately without even hearing all sides.  Just the fact that they were in the room violated his "Do right" rule.

As Holtz later told the media later:

"I only have one rule for our players.  Do right."

Two of the suspended players, running back Ben Cowins and wide receiver Donny Bobo, had accounted for 78% of Arkansas' total points that year. 

The third player suspended was Michael Forrest, a big, bruising fullback who later played in the NFL.

Switzer, in a press conference days before the game, said he wished Holtz would reconsider the suspensions and let his star players play.

Switzer said he had no idea what to expect from Arkansas and he was worried.

Las Vegas, already considering Arkansas a decided underdog, moved Arkansas's betting line to +24.

Just before the game, the scoreboard showed that Number #1 Texas had just lost to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl, meaning Oklahoma just had to win against Arkansas to be National Champions.

Holtz Giving Instructions to Quarterback Calcagni during Orange Bowl

Arkansas lined up in a weird set for their first play from scrimmage, a quarterback sneak by Ron Calgagni for about 15 yards.  

Calgagni ran three more quarterback sneaks, all for good yardage, before handing off to seldom-used running back, Roland Sales for the touchdown.

Sales, who'd barely played all year, ended up with 205 yards on 22 carries and was Player of the Game.

Oklahoma, totally discombobulated all game, ended up losing 31-6.

Holtz had several more good years at Arkansas before one bad year in 1983 when he was either fired or resigned.

Frank Broyles, the former Arkansas coach, but now athletic director, claimed Holtz had resigned, something Holtz denied.

Then we heard the version that Holtz, suffering from bouts of depression, had tried to resign "4 times in 14 months," and that finally, Broyles, tiring of the back and forth, told him simply to go ahead.

Next, we got a total revision of the story:  Holtz had taped two commercial for conservative North Carolina Senator Jessie Helms, known for opposing the Civil Rights Bill and the Martin Luther King holiday.

Broyles, it was said, fearing this politial connection would hurt Arkansas' recruiting of Black athletes, fired Holtz.

Take your pick of versions.

After leaving Arkansas, Holtz enjoyed success at University of Minnesota, fantastic years with Notre Dame, then some so-so time with South Carolina.

In 2020 Holtz came out in firm support for Donald Trump, even giving a speech in his behalf at the Republican National Convention.

I listened to Holtz' entire speech online.  It just seemed incongruous that such a straight-laced, devout Catholic man could ever be connected to the pussy-grabbing con man. 

Holtz said in his speech that Trump had been good for America and was someone "who could be trusted" and "loved people."

But, Holtz' primary concern was the Biden-Harris pro-abortion stance.  The staunch Catholic could not support any pro-abortion candidate, even saying Biden was not a "true Catholic."

Even a clever guy like Lou Holtz can be duped, fooled and tricked by a clever con artist, or, at least fooled into thinking a con artist shares his morality.

After the election, Trump awarded Lou Holtz the Presidential Medal of Freedom.