Lou Holtz’s outstanding coaching tree features over 8 names, including Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll

Lou Holtz’s influence on college football extended far beyond his own sideline. Over more than three decades in coaching, Holtz developed a coaching tree that helped shape modern football at both the college and professional levels.

Holtz is best known for his 11 seasons at  Notre Dame, where he compiled a 100-30-2 record and capped the 1988 season with a perfect 12-0 mark and a consensus national championship. 

Yet his reach stretched across multiple programs, including William & Mary, NC State, Arkansas, Minnesota and South Carolina. He remains the only coach in college football history to lead six different schools to bowl games. Four of those programs finished in the Top 15 in the final AP Poll. 

Lou Holtz coaching tree 

Several prominent head coaches trace their roots to Holtz.

Barry Alvarez, who played for and later coached under Holtz, went on to build Wisconsin into a national power and won three Rose Bowls. 

Urban Meyer served as a wide receivers coach on Holtz’s Notre Dame staff before winning national championships at Florida and Ohio State. 

Pete Carroll worked as a graduate assistant under Holtz at Arkansas, later capturing a national title at USC and a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.

On the defensive side, Monte Kiffin coached under Holtz at Arkansas and later became one of the most influential defensive minds in the NFL, helping popularize the Tampa 2 scheme. 

Jimmye Laycock, a longtime assistant under Holtz at William & Mary, went on to enjoy a lengthy and successful head coaching career there.

Charlie Strong worked under Holtz at South Carolina before becoming a head coach at Louisville and Texas. 

Dan Henning also served on Holtz’s staff and later coached in the NFL.

Holtz’s coaching tree also includes his son, Skip Holtz, who carved out a long career as a college head coach and NFL assistant.

Lou Holtz accomplishments

Holtz retired in 2004 with career head coaching record of 249-132-7. He was college football’s consensus Coach of the Year in 1977. Outside of Notre Dame's national championship in 1988, Holtz also guided his team to three conference championship (SoCon- 1970, ACC- 1973, SWC- 1979). 

More: Tyrann Mathieu explains how trying to beat a drug test nearly cost him his life

Beyond wins and championships, Holtz’s lasting legacy is the philosophy he instilled in his assistants continues across football decades after his final game.

More college football news: 

• SNL pokes fun at Michael Irvin's amped up Miami Hurricanes fandom
• Deion Sanders buyout, contract details as Colorado Buffaloes coach
• Jimmy Kimmel roasts Bill Belichick’s girlfriend over Hall of Fame debate
• Google changes Curt Cignetti search results following Indiana’s CFP title win
• Ex-Indiana QB fires back after portrayal in CBS 60 Minutes interview