It’s been a little more than a month since reports emerged that legendary college football coach Lou Holtz entered hospice care. On Wednesday, Urban Meyer shared a brief update on Holtz’s health.
He did so while answering a question from Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers about his mentors. Meyer opened up on The Triple Option podcast.
“Humbly, I say that I had two mentors that were like fathers,” Meyer said. “Lou Holtz, who’s not doing well; he’s in hospice care as we speak. I went and saw him recently, and my wife got really emotional, because without coach Holt… he hired me at Notre Dame in 1996.”
Meyer didn’t elaborate on Lou Holtz’s health any further, but suffice it to say the 89-year-old coach is battling. Rumors had initially circled in early February that he had died, prompting the family to release a statement.
“Appreciate everyone’s text and prayers,” wrote Skip Holtz, Lou Holtz’s son. “Dad is 89 and he is STILL fighting the fight! Only the man upstairs knows how much time is left on the clock. Cherishing the time we still have together in Orlando.”
For Meyer, the impact that Lou Holtz had on his career was clear. He continued, giving Rogers a great answer to his question.
“And then there was a guy named Earl Bruce that was Woody Hayes‘ protege that became like, a, he hired me as a young coach first as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, then I followed him to Colorado State,” Meyer said. “But they were always on speed dial. And they were the kind of people that weren’t much about patting you on the back, but it was always about how to get better.”
Lou Holtz’s coaching style fit Meyer perfectly. He was never one for basking in praise from others.
“That’s the way I was raised. I didn’t really surround myself with the bobbleheads or the people that… I want to get better,” Meyer said. “If you’re going to come watch practice, which I used to have a ton of friends come in the profession, and the one rule I had was you can watch practice but you’re going to write a report on how we can get better. We don’t have much time for the hugs and all that other stuff. Make us better.”
As he concluded, Meyer gave one last nod to Lou Holtz. If nothing else, Holtz helped illuminate the path for Meyer and that will never be lost on the former Florida and Ohio State coach.
“What I always found out, coach, there’s always a better way to do it,” Meyer said. “You’re going to come across someone in your journey and you’re like, ‘Damn, why didn’t I think of that?’ And it’s going to make your team better. So that would be my encouragement to you, and that’s what I did. Certainly, Lou Holtz and Earl Bruce did that hundreds of times in my career.”