Choose like a champion today

Ask Lou Holtz how old the general population is in his area, and he might say: “The average age in my town is “dead.”

This quip is indicative of the way the former University of Notre Dame head football coach often communicates: with humor, but with a purpose. The West Virginia native, who turned 86 on January 6, is known for making epiphanies possible through his engaging and clear teaching style.
 
While it is amusing to realize one’s own mortality and the infirmities that precede it, this exercise is also highly instructive on how to see life and make decisions that have eternal benefits. Indeed, another Lou, Venerable Louis of Granada, has said that “the life of a wise man is a constant meditation on death.”

Devotion to ‘Saint’ Beth

Holtz has been all the more focused on death since the passing of his beloved wife, Beth, in 2020.
 
“We were married for 59 glorious years, which included the great gifts of four children. Words cannot express how grateful I am for that time,” said Holtz. “Beth was a saint—she had to be in order to put up with the life of a football coach.”

The endless shuffling of coaches from team to team around the country has been referred to as the “coaching carousel,” and it is not generally favorable to forming strong families. However, Holtz gives the credit to Beth for keeping their family focused on faith throughout move after move.

From 1960 to 1985, Holtz was on the coaching staff of nine different teams. He then struck gold with the acceptance of the head coaching position at the University of Notre Dame. During his tenure in South Bend from 1986 to 1996, the Fighting Irish won 100 games, including a national championship in 1988.

It was during that standout season that Holtz made a decision that other coaches might balk at. Two of his starters were not allowed to play against No. 2 USC because of disciplinary reasons. Holtz knew that everyone had to play by the same rules, even if that meant great individuals would not be contributing against a highly ranked opponent in an important game.

Oh, and the Irish defeated the Trojans soundly anyway, 27-10.

Decision with Precision
 
How to make good decisions is the topic of Holtz’s upcoming speech at Legatus’ Summit 2023 in Orlando, FL, this month. Because someone’s life can be said to be the sum total of his decisions, knowing how to choose one thing over another is irreplaceably important.
 
Everyone knows that lesser things should be sacrificed for greater ones and time-honored principles always matter more than short-term gains. Holtz said that “most of the time, it’s easy to know the right thing to do. The part that takes discipline and courage is to actually do it.”
 
Learning the Catholic faith is essential to gaining discipline and courage, as are perpetual prayer and sacramental reception, he noted. The dual aspects of knowing and living are combined in the life of a faithful follower of Christ.
 
Decisions that would otherwise be made with great difficulty can become clear and easy with grace obtained through prayer, Confession, and Holy Communion. However, as faith exercised on earth is always a battle, there will often be times when doing the right thing is met with strong outside resistance.

This is when Holtz reassures people that even though challenges will likely increase for those on the right path, God gives the strength needed to persevere to the end. Salvation, like a football victory, is not guaranteed, but the wrestling against powers and principalities (Eph 6:12) should be dominated by faith in God’s promises.

The Holtz Rules

Holtz encourages the tenacious yet joyful pursuit of goals so that eventual victory may be “wrested” — taken hold of. He said that the “thing I miss the most about coaching is the relationships built with the players—helping them learn about how life works, how to overcome adversity, and succeed as a team.”
 
The three overarching rules to success for Holtz were to do the right thing, do the best you can, and show people that you care. While he did care about his players, his primary attention was directed toward his wife, to whom he gives credit for his own success. “I would not have been able to achieve anything without the help of Beth,” he stated.

So clear is the importance of marriage for Holtz that he even tells people to make sure to attend at least one wedding each year. That way, one’s own vows can be mentally renewed as the marrying couple is officially exchanging theirs.

“In addition to that, I also tell people to make sure to attend at least one funeral each year,” Holtz added. “That will remind you that this life is short, and its main purpose is to prepare for the next life, which is very, very long.”

The average age in Holtz’s town might be “dead,” but his faith is alive as he happily—though not complacently—pursues salvation, one decision at a time.

TRENT BEATTIE is a contributing writer for Legatus magazine.