After 11 Seasons, Holtz Says Resigning ‘Right Thing to Do’

Lou Holtz spent part of Tuesday morning walking amid pleasant memories and pending milestones--the dormitory where he has addressed incoming freshmen during each of his 11 years as the football coach at Notre Dame, the stadium that has housed most of his 99 victories at the school, the chapel where his grandson will be baptized Friday.

While overwhelmed, the magnitude of it all wasn’t enough to overcome a sensation somewhere inside Holtz that resigning as the coach of the Fighting Irish at the conclusion of the season “is just the right thing to do.”

Holtz, who said he thought about leaving as long ago as last February, made his decision official Tuesday during a 90-minute news conference at a local television affiliate whose call letters are W-Notre Dame University. Continually expressing thanks at being allowed to work at a school that has spawned such legendary coaches as Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy and Ara Parseghian, Holtz said, “I always thought you coached at Notre Dame and then went straight up to heaven.”

But the 59-year-old added later he probably isn’t ready for retirement and might be interested in becoming an NFL head coach. Holtz directed the New York Jets to a 3-10 record in 1976, leaving before the conclusion of the season. The Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons are said to be interested in Holtz.

“The team I coached in the NFL for eight months wasn’t good the year before I got there and they didn’t go to the Super Bowl the year after I left,” Holtz said. “There’s something (about his NFL experience) that bothers me, there’s some question in my mind. Do I want to do it? Yes. Do I want to do it bad enough that I would leave Notre Dame for it? No.”

Holtz said the decision to leave Notre Dame was entirely his and that there was no single factor that motivated him. He notified Athletic Director Mike Wadsworth and university vice president E. William Beauchamp a few weeks ago. The pair said they gave Holtz a week to reconsider but the coach confirmed his decision Monday afternoon. After that, said Wadsworth, “It wasn’t our place to try and make him change his mind.”

As for Holtz’s replacement, Wadsworth said the school has a list of “fewer than a half-dozen” potential candidates. Whoever is hired, Wadsworth said, “must be aware of and fit into the cultural and values of Notre Dame.” Among the names mentioned most prominently are Northwestern Coach Gary Barnett, Louisiana State Coach Gerry DiNardo and Wisconsin Coach Barry Alvarez. Barnett confirmed Tuesday in a statement that he has been contacted about the job.

Wadsworth also said that while the school would prefer to hire someone with head-coaching experience, he wouldn’t rule out a proven assistant coach such as Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Davie.

Notre Dame (7-2) is ranked 10th nationally entering Saturday’s game against Rutgers at Notre Dame Stadium. Holtz, who led the Fighting Irish to one national championship, has a career record of 99-29-2 with the school, his victory total second only to Rockne, who won 105 games in 13 seasons before dying in a 1931 plane crash. While Wadsworth said there was no doubt that Holtz belonged alongside his illustrious predecessors, Holtz continually downplayed his importance at the school, saying the furor regarding his plans was “embarrassing.”

Holtz said he would have preferred to make his decision at the conclusion of the season but that doing so would have hindered Notre Dame in finding a replacement and being able to compete with other schools in the recruitment of high-school talent.

“It was impulsive at first; the season isn’t the time to do this--you’re hassled, you’re not getting any sleep and the mail isn’t favorable,” he said. “When the season’s done you can get some sleep, play some golf, rejoin mankind and then get up after a few days and make a decision but you can’t do that. . . . For continuity’s sake I felt the decision had to be made during the season; the worst thing you can do is bring athletes into a school without having a coach there.”