Ranking Notre Dame’s Top 10 Best Head Coaches of All-Time - #4

Connor Regan
Apr 24
23 min read

In our last piece, Dan Devine secured the #5 spot on our list of Notre Dame’s greatest-ever head coaches. The battle for our #4 spot was close, but this coach narrowly beat Devine for a few key reasons. Let’s look at who earned our #4 spot.

Photo by Notre Dame Athletics

4. Lou Holtz

Unlike many of the coaches on our list, Lou Holtz’s relationship with Notre Dame didn’t begin on the field or attending classes on campus. Instead, he was a longtime admirer and fan of the program. His admiration grew when he began his coaching career, and the hallowed head coach position at the University of Notre Dame became his dream job. After making a name for himself coaching the Arkansas Razorbacks for 7 seasons, Holtz was offered the top spot at the University of Minnesota, which he accepted with only one stipulation. He requested a clause in the agreement that would release him immediately from his contract if Notre Dame, and only Notre Dame, came knocking.

Thankfully for everyone, they did, and Holtz was officially named the next head coach at Notre Dame for the 1986 season. He inherited a struggling program, desperate to return to the glory of years past but struggling to find its footing. Gerry Faust had just left South Bend after 5 dismal seasons, never eclipsing 7 wins, and twice posted a losing record. With everything stacked against him, Holtz arrived in South Bend with a new vision for the former powerhouse and immediately made his mark. He decided to remove the names on the back of player jerseys to foster a team-first mentality over the individual's accomplishments. Outside of a few postseason exceptions, Holtz’s nameless jerseys have remained a staple of the program’s tradition and were only the beginning of his contributions to its history.

The 1986 season was a baptism of sorts for Holtz, posting a rough 5-6 record. Despite the poor start, the season was encouraging, with 5/6 losses coming by single digits. These losses came against #3 Michigan (23-24), Michigan State (15-20), #2 Alabama (10-28), Pitt (9-10), #3 Penn State (19-24), and #8 LSU (19-21). In the final game of the season, Notre Dame stunned USC, mounting a 17-point come-from-behind 4th quarter victory, squeezing by the Trojans (38-37). While his first season was a losing one, the Irish fought several tough breaks, and Holtz managed to beat USC in his first go.

Holtz’s second season was an improvement over a rough first outing, with the Irish going 8-1 through their first 9 games, beating #9 Michigan at the Big House, #17 Michigan State, USC, and #10 Alabama. Despite starting strong, the Irish dropped their final 3 games, falling to Penn State in a (20-21) heartbreaker, a crushing (0-24) loss against Miami to end the regular season, and a (10-35) loss in the Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M. While most were left reeling from the late season collapse, Holtz again saw promise and potential in his squad, and Irish fans were left to dry their tears with Tim Brown’s 1987 Heisman Trophy.

After only 2 years in South Bend, 1988 was when everything finally clicked for Holtz and the Irish. Notre Dame began the season as the #13 team in the polls and an underdog in their opening game against #9 Michigan. The Irish struggled mightily on offense, failing to score a single touchdown and forced to lean on their defense and special teams. Their only points came from an 81-yard Ricky Watters punt return for a touchdown and 3 field goals from walk-on kicker Reggie Ho. Down 2 points and the game on the line, Notre Dame’s fate hung on the leg of Ho as he lined up for his 4th attempt of the day and only 1:13 left on the clock. Just as they had all day, the Irish special teams rose to the occasion and knocked a 4th kick through the uprights to steal the game (19-17). After narrowly escaping disaster, Holtz and his squad responded by handily dispatching Michigan State (20-3) before crushing Purdue (52-7) the week after. Now in full stride, the Irish added wins against Stanford (42-21) and Pitt (30-20) to bring their record to 5-0 as they stared down the barrel of their biggest challenge yet.

On October 15th, Jimmy Johnson and the #1 Miami Hurricanes arrived in South Bend to face off against the #4 Fighting Irish. The reigning National Champions brought plenty of hype and cockiness with them, but instead of intimidating Holtz and his squad, it fueled them. Just before kickoff, simmering tensions boiled over when both teams encountered one another in the tunnel, leading to an all-out brawl that only ended when police intervened. Miami’s opening drive ended with a fumble, allowing the Irish to strike first on a 12-play 75-yard touchdown drive. The Hurricanes responded quickly with a touchdown of their own, but an 80-yard drive ending with a Tony Rice touchdown pass put the Irish up once again. Only 4 plays later, Irish Safety Pat Terrell snagged a tipped ball and returned it 60 yards for a score, extending the Irish lead to 14. The Hurricanes scored 2 quick touchdowns in the final minutes of the 2nd quarter and leveled the score at (21-21) just before the half. Notre Dame’s defense came up big on Miami’s first play of the 3rd quarter, forcing a fumble to give the Irish offense a short field. They capitalized with a rushing touchdown and later added a Reggie Ho field goal to extend their lead to 10 as the 4th quarter began.

A Miami field goal cut Notre Dame’s lead to 7, and a quick defensive stop gave them the ball back about halfway through the 4th. After marching deep into Irish territory, Miami’s drive culminated in a 4th & 7 red zone situation. They initially converted on a pass over the middle but controversially fumbled the ball on Notre Dame’s 1-yard line, just a yard shy of tying the game and their 7th turnover of the day. Shortly after the momentum swing, Tony Rice was stripped on Notre Dame’s 14, giving the Hurricanes yet another chance to decide the game. This time, Miami would capitalize on the turnover with a 4th down touchdown pass, drawing within a point of the Irish. Instead of kicking the extra point to tie, head coach Jimmy Johnson decided to go for the death blow and try for a 2-point conversion. Once again, Pat Terrell saved the day, knocking down a last-ditch toss to the back corner of the end zone, sealing the win for the Irish and snapping Miami’s 36-game regular season win streak. The game became an instant classic, dubbed “Catholics vs Convicts”, and is still considered one of the greatest games in college football history.

After knocking off the #1 team in the country, the Irish improved to #2 in the polls and would continue their campaign with wins over Airforce (41-13), Navy (22-7), Rice (54-11), and Penn State (21-3) before their final regular season game against their biggest rival. #1 Notre Dame entered its annual contest with #2 USC, looking to cap off their season with a statement. For the first time in the rivalry’s history, both sides entered the matchup undefeated, but with the game in LA, Notre Dame was considered the underdog. The Irish jumped out to an early lead with 2 first-quarter rushing touchdowns, with one coming via a 65-yard Tony Rice scramble that gave him his 9th rushing score of the season. The score made Rice the first QB since Irish legend Paul Hornung in 1956 to lead the team in rushing. The Irish defense piled on, scoring on a pick-six, and forced 4 USC turnovers to put the Trojans away (27-10).

The 11-0 Irish earned a shot at the National Title, heading to the Fiesta Bowl to face #3 West Virginia. Both teams entered the matchup at their peak; the Mountaineers were the best team WVU had ever fielded, and the Irish brought a #1 ranking into a postseason bowl game for the first time ever. Notre Dame stunned the Mountaineers by scoring twice in the 1st quarter, once via an Anthony Johnson rush with a missed PAT, and the second on a 45-yard field goal. West Virginia only managed 2 FGs in the 2nd quarter, while the Irish padded the lead with another rushing score and a 30-yard dagger from Tony Rice to The Rocket, sending the game into halftime with a lopsided (23-6) score. The Mountaineers put up their first touchdown in the 3rd quarter, while Notre Dame added a field goal to bring the score to (26-13). Both sides traded touchdown passes and 2-point conversions in the 4th, but the Irish defense stepped up like they had all season, and put the game out of reach with a late interception in WVU’s end zone. Notre Dame held on to beat West Virginia (34-21). This win gave Lou Holtz his first National Championship, the program’s 11th, and its first since 1978. Holtz joined Leahy, Parseghian, and Devine by winning it all in his 3rd season in South Bend, and he was awarded the Coach of the Year by three different presenters. The 1988 team is considered one of the greatest of all time, going undefeated, beating 10/12 opposing teams by double digits, and taking down the #2, #4, #5, and #7 ranked teams at the end of the season.

Surprise came from both outside and within the program when they won in 1988, with most believing they were still a year or two away from their prime. By winning it all a year ahead of schedule and returning key starters Tony Rice, Raghib Ismail, Rickey Watters, Tony Brooks, Jeff Alm, Chris Zorich, and Pat Terrell, among others, Holtz and the program appeared on the cusp of a dynasty. The 1989 Irish looked just as good, if not better than their National Championship squad from the year before, winning 11 straight games and extending Notre Dame’s win streak to 23 straight, setting a school record in the process. They spent the entire season at #1 in the polls, padding their resume with wins against then #2 Michigan (24-19), #17 Air Force (41-27), #9 USC (28-24), #7 Pitt (45-7), and #17 Penn State (34-23). To this day, Holtz contends that the 1989 team was the most talented group he coached while at Notre Dame.

Holtz approached the 1989 season finale against #7 Miami with both confidence and caution. The anemic Irish offense couldn’t muster a single offensive touchdown, with Miami holding their prolific rushing attack to only 178 yards and their passing game to 106. Ultimately, Notre Dame couldn’t overcome their offensive woes, and Miami played not just for the win, but to avenge its close 1-point loss the season before. The Irish fell (10-27), ending their win streak at 23, dropping them to #4 in the polls, and dashing any hopes of a chance to repeat as Champions. Newly minted #2 Miami went on to beat #7 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl (33-25), claiming their 3rd National Title in 6 years.

The 11-1 Irish faced #1 Colorado in the Orange Bowl, easily handling the Buffs (21-6) and further confusing the National Title selectors. Notre Dame ended at #2 in the polls, behind #3 FSU and Colorado at #4. Despite losing to the Hurricanes, Notre Dame technically had the better loss against Miami than Miami themselves did, losing to 2-loss FSU. All things considered, the 1989 Irish just missed out on a 25-game win streak and Holtz’s 2nd Championship with the Irish. If they’d managed to duplicate their 1988 season, it would have been Notre Dame’s first back-to-back Title since Frank Leahy’s tenure. Miami ended their season at #1 with an 11-1 record, while the Irish finished 12-1 with the NCAA’s strongest regular season SOS and a win against the #1 team in the country, Colorado. Although the Hurricanes beat the Irish, there is something to be said about the fact that they wouldn’t have won the Title without Notre Dame taking down Colorado in dominant fashion. Despite not technically winning the Title, the Irish were named Champions by several polls - Berryman(QPRS), Eck Rating System, Rothman(FACT), Sagarin, S&P+, and ELO-CHESS.

Holtz’s 1990 squad began the year at #1 yet again, beating #4 Michigan in the first game of the year, followed by another win against #24 Michigan State. Their first stumble came against unranked Stanford, losing at home (31-36) and dropping them to #8. After 5 straight wins, most notably against #2 Miami and #9 Tennessee, the newly #1 ranked Irish met #18 Penn State at home, sadly losing on a late field goal (21-24) and dropping them completely out of the National Championship chase. Now 8-2, the #7 Irish faced off against USC in LA, beating them in a close struggle (10-6). The road win pushed Notre Dame to the #5 team in the country, earning another shot against #1 Colorado, a rematch from the year prior. This time, Colorado was gunning for a National Title.

The game was a low-scoring affair, with no action in the 1st quarter, only a 22-yard Colorado field goal, and a 2-yard Ricky Watters rushing TD for Notre Dame in the 2nd. Crucially, the Buffs managed to block the Irish’s PAT, something that would come back to haunt them. The 3rd quarter was almost exactly the same as the 2nd, but in reverse, with the Irish knocking in a 24-yard FG and the Buffs scoring on a 1-yard run. Notre Dame’s missed PAT had them trailing by 1 when it should have been tied (10-10). With only about a minute left on the clock, Raghib “The Rocket” Ismael had a chance to spoil the Buffs’ National Title bid. Instead of safely punting the ball out of bounds, Colorado surprisingly punted straight to Ismael, and from the looks of it, greatness had struck. Ismael fielded the ball at the Irish 8 and was immediately hit by 3 Buffs players in quick succession, a sequence that would typically stop any punt return in its tracks. But like so many times before, there was nothing normal about what The Rocket could do. Defying reason, he managed to stay upright, hurling through the middle of Colorado's return defense while breaking another two tackles. As he bounced to the outside, only Buffs QB Darian Hagan stood in his way. The second he hit the 50, the Rocket turned on the afterburners and flew down the sideline - gone. Mayhem ensued, and the Irish celebrated their touchdown and come-from-behind win in the limelight - until they were interrupted.

Following the end of the play and seemingly the game, referees announced over the PA system that there’d been “a flag on the play.” Shocked and gutted, Holtz and the Irish watched as a controversial “clipping” call reversed the greatest play of their season. Ultimately, the missed PAT and the ghost-like “clipping” call were too much to overcome, and the Irish fell to the Buffs (9-10). The win gave Colorado their one and only Championship, although their 1990 title is technically shared with Georgia Tech, who went 11-0-1 and beat Nebraska (45-21) in the Citrus Bowl. After the loss, the 9-3 Irish dropped to #6, and “The Rocket” placed second in Heisman Trophy voting, losing to BYU’s Ty Detmer.

The 1991 Notre Dame squad began their season at #7 and split their first two games, beating Indiana handily (49-27) before losing to #3 Michigan (14-24). The Irish then won 7 straight games, bringing their record to 8-1. Despite the strong start, #12 Pitt was the only ranked team they’d faced since Michigan, so #5 was the highest they could climb before their home matchup with #13 Tennessee. The Irish dominated the first half, hanging 31 quick points on the Volunteers, and entered the half up (31-14). Tennessee exploded in the second half, putting up 21 points to Notre Dame’s 3, narrowing the score to (34-35). With 4 seconds on the clock and no timeouts left for either side, the Irish lined up for a routine 27-yard field goal that would give them the win by 2. Everything looked normal, and the original broadcast announcer called the field goal good until the Tennessee sideline began celebrating, and the officials confirmed the miss. It turned out the Volunteers partially tipped the ball as it lifted off over the line of scrimmage, and the ball just missed the uprights. With this 1-point loss, the now 8-2 Irish dropped to #12 and out of the National Title race. The following week, Notre Dame traveled to #8 Penn State and lost (13-25), dropping to #18 in the polls. After closing the regular season with a win against Hawaii, the Irish earned a Sugar Bowl appearance against the #3 Florida Gators.

The Gators entered as 6.5-point favorites and jumped out to a (16-7) lead heading into halftime. The Irish then scored 10 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter to take a (17-16) lead heading into the 4th. After knocking in their 4th and 5th field goals of the day, the Gators regained the lead (22-17) in the 4th before encountering an unstoppable force. Fullback Jerome “The Bus” Bettis overpowered Florida’s defense and put up 3 touchdowns in the final 12 minutes of the game: a 3-yard plunge, a 49-yard dash, and the final dagger - a 39-yard touchdown. A last-ditch touchdown and failed 2-point conversion were all the Gators had left, and Bettis led the Irish to a (39-28) win behind 150 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns - all coming in the 4th quarter - earning him MVP honors for the performance. The Sugar Bowl win gave the 1991 Irish a final record of 10-3.

The 1992 Irish began the year at #3 and crushed Northwestern 42-7 at Soldier Field. They encountered their first true test in week 2, a home matchup against the #6 Michigan Wolverines. In their first offensive touchdown, Irish RB Reggie Brooks took a pitch to the outside, broke a tackle, and, as he was nearing the end zone, was hit by a Wolverine player, knocking him out just before he fell over the line and into the end zone. The 20-yard scoring play was thus dubbed the “Unconscious Touchdown” and etched into Notre Dame lore as one of the most impressive and notable runs in school history. Michigan tossed a 27-yard touchdown late in the 2nd quarter, tying the game heading into halftime. The Wolverines knocked in a field goal to take a 3-point lead in the 3rd and capitalized on a Jerome Bettis fumble with a 30-yard pass to score, taking a 10-point lead in the 4th quarter. The Irish would go on to score behind the unrelenting Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, followed by a field goal of their own, tying the game (17-17) with just over 5 minutes left. Now, the controversy. The Wolverines were poised to score until the Irish defense stepped up and snagged their 3rd interception of the game, giving them the ball with 1:07 left and 1 timeout.

The issue came when Holtz decided to call 2 running plays back-to-back, forcing Notre Dame QB Rick Mirer to toss a pass that fell incomplete. The 3-play series shed a whole minute off the clock, leaving the Irish with only 7 seconds left and their lone timeout unused. This left only enough time for a single play, nullifying Holtz’s remaining timeout. With their final play, Mirer was forced to toss a long ball to get within scoring distance, but it was broken up, ending the game in a disappointing tie. Irish fans were left reeling. This would be one of 3 ties the 1992 Michigan team would post, although they ultimately went 9-0-3. This dropped the Irish to #7, but they’d go on to win their next two games against Michigan State and Purdue, giving them a 3-0-1 record before their matchup with #18 Stanford. Sadly, the Irish would drop their home game against the Cardinal, sending them from #6 to #13. They recovered and won 6-straight games, highlighted by a dominant win against #9 Boston College (54-7), and an instant classic over #22 Penn State.

While not considered a classic rival of Notre Dame, the Nittany Lions entered the final matchup in their series with the Irish leading the all-time series 8-7-1, giving the Irish a chance to even the series before it went on hiatus. It was a below-freezing November day in South Bend, with light flurries coming down and a full-on storm threatening. The Irish limped into the game, with QB Rick Mirer sick with a stomach bug and Jerome Bettis with a tweaked ankle. Penn State struck first, rushing for a TD, but had their extra point blocked, earning them only 6 points for their efforts. The Irish offense struggled to get the ball in the end zone, settling for 3 points each quarter and turning the ball over twice. PSU’s QB Kerry Collins put the Nittany Lions up (16-9) with 4:25 left in the 4th. A 4th FG wouldn’t help the struggling Irish offense, and a touchdown would only tie the score at 16: the Irish would need to score their first touchdown of the day and follow it with a 2-point conversion to win. After a 4-minute 61-yard drive, the Irish sat on the Penn State 3-yard line. It all came down to this - on 4th down with only 25 seconds left, down 7, Rick Mirer tossed a floater just over the line to Bettis for a touchdown, bringing the Irish within 1. Penn State knew what was coming, and Holtz lined his offense up for a 2-point conversion. As Mirer dropped back, his pocket began collapsing under the pressure, forcing him to scramble outside the pocket. While being chased by two defenders, nothing appeared open, yet he tossed a prayer off his back foot, holding the game’s fate in his hands. The ball sailed to the back corner of an empty end zone, only to be met by a diving Reggie Brooks, who reeled the ball in to put the Irish up (17-16) and steal the game from the Nittany Lions. The come-from-behind win would go down in Notre Dame history, dubbed the “Snow Bowl.”

In their final game of the season, #5 Notre Dame beat #19 USC (31-23), finishing at 9-1-1, along with a Cotton Bowl invitation against Texas A&M. Despite missing out on a National Title bid, Holt’s squad responded to their postseason challenge, pummeling the Aggies (28-3). Jerome Bettis scored 3 of Notre Dame’s 4 touchdowns, and the Irish defense held A&M scoreless until late in the 4th quarter, when they kicked a 41-yard field goal. After the bowl win, the Irish finished at #4 in the polls, with a 10-1-1 record, only marred by the Michigan tie and Stanford loss.

The Irish began 1993 at #7 and won a 7th straight season opener under Holtz, a (27-12) grinder against unranked Northwestern. Pollsters were left unimpressed and kicked the Irish down to #11 as they faced a road game against #3 Michigan. Starting QB Ron Powlus was sidelined with injury, but the Irish squeaked out a close one over the Wolverines (27-23). The win sent the Irish up to #4 in the country and began a 7-game win streak against unranked opponents (Michigan State, Purdue, Stanford, Pitt, BYU, USC, & Navy), ending up at #2 with a 9-0 record. While the middle of their schedule lacked competitiveness, the Irish earned style points, with their closest game being a (17-0) shutout at home against Purdue and a (44-0) home shutout over Pitt being their most dominant win. The Irish offense outscored opponents (279-67), while the defense didn’t allow a single team to score over 20 points. On November 13th, 1993, the undefeated #1 Florida State Seminoles arrived in South Bend, bringing the 1993 squad their biggest challenge of the year. The stakes for both teams could not have been higher, with legendary coaches Bobby Bowden and Lou Holtz battling for more than a blue-chip win and bragging rights: the winner of this game would almost assuredly go on to play undefeated #3 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl for the National Title. They were considered the two best teams in the country, but the Seminoles were favored by 7 points despite being on the road, and Holtz was looking to play spoiler.

FSU struck first with a 12-yard pass from Charlie Ward, but the Irish responded shortly after on a 32-yard run by Adrian Jarrell. Notre Dame used the 2nd quarter to put some distance between themselves and the Seminoles, adding two more rushing touchdowns to move ahead (21-7) going into the half. The Irish scored first in the 3rd quarter, padding their lead with a field goal before the Seminoles scored again on Charlie Ward’s 2nd passing touchdown of the day, followed by an early 4th quarter field goal, to narrow things to (24-17). The Irish chewed another 4 minutes off the clock with their relentless ground game, going 80 yards for their 4th rushing touchdown of the day to go up (31-17). With time running out, the Seminoles drove deep into Irish territory, hoping to score and get the ball back on an onside kick. On 3rd and goal, Charlie Ward tossed what looked to be his 3rd touchdown pass to the near corner of the end zone, but Notre Dame’s stifling secondary knocked the ball loose to force a 4th and goal on the 20. With the game on the line, Ward threw another ball over the middle, but the Irish defense got their first, tipping it into the air. In a split second, the ball sailed towards the back of the end zone but was reeled in by the only Seminole near it for a touchdown.

Now down just 7, the Seminoles elected for the onside kick, hoping to keep the ball away from Notre Dame, but failed to recover. Unfortunately, the Irish offense couldn’t move the chains and run the clock out, forcing them to punt with under a minute left. With one last chance, the Seminoles got the ball down to Notre Dame’s 15-yard line with only 3 seconds left. Ward dropped back in the pocket but was forced to scramble left by the Irish pass rush, evading a game-ending sack before he threw a dart across his body that sailed toward the back of the end zone. The Irish secondary swarmed the ball, batting it to the ground and sealing the victory for Holtz and the Irish. The win went down in Notre Dame history and was dubbed the “Game of the Century” by the press. Now 10-0, all signs pointing to another National Championship appearance for Holtz and the Irish, with only one game left in their path—#17 Boston College.

Despite their recent momentum, the Irish fell behind early against BC, stunned by a scoreless 1st quarter and 10 points from the Eagles' offense. Holtz’s offense got going in the 2nd quarter, scoring twice, but the defense gave up two scores, keeping them behind (14-24) at the half. Notre Dame’s struggles continued in the 3rd, giving up another touchdown and only managing to score one more field goal. Boston College extended its lead to 38-17 at the start of the 4th quarter, seemingly putting the game out of reach for Holtz’s squad. When all hope seemed lost, the Irish began to rally, scoring 3 straight unanswered touchdowns to take their first lead of the game (39-38). Boston College got the ball back with only a minute left, and all the Notre Dame defense needed to do was keep them out of field goal range, and they’d sneak out of there with a close win. After a slow start to the drive, the Eagles hit a stride, tossing short passes that moved them close to the 50-yard line. After two straight completions, the Eagles crossed the Irish 30, and it all came down to a 41-yard field goal. As the last 5 seconds ticked off the clock, Boston College kicker David Gordon split the uprights, ending Notre Dame’s comeback, along with their National Title hopes. (Author Note - Fun fact: I was in the womb at this heartbreaking loss - this was technically my very first Notre Dame game...)

Now 10-1 and #4 in the polls, the Irish returned to the Cotton Bowl to face #7 Texas A&M once again. This year’s Cotton Bowl was a rematch of the Game the year before, which Notre Dame won (28-3). This time around, the Irish were looking to redeem their heartbreaking loss against Boston College that derailed their season, and the 10-1 Aggies were hoping to avenge their loss to #16 Oklahoma. Holtz was 4-2 in bowl games up to this point, and this would be his 3rd trip to the Cotton Bowl in 7 seasons, where he remained 1-1. Rick Mirer left South Bend for the NFL after the 1992 season, and new Irish QB Kevin McDougal was charged with running the offense. By the time of the Cotton Bowl, McDougal had thrown for over 1,500 yards but only for a disappointing 7 TDs. Lee Benton was tapped to replace both Reggie Brooks and Jerome Bettis but managed to run for over 1,000 yards on 6.4 yards per carry, 6 rushing touchdowns, and 1 receiving touchdown.

The Irish were first to score, hitting on a 19-yard QB run from McDougal to cap off a 91-yard opening drive. A&M drove 79 yards and rushed for a touchdown shortly after, evening the score at (7-7). The Aggies controlled the 2nd quarter handily, draining 7 minutes off the clock with a 14-play drive culminating in a 15-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter to pull ahead of the Irish (14-7) heading into halftime. Holtz's squad came out of halftime with pressure, forcing a short punt from the Aggies to get the ball at midfield, leading to a 2-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game at 14. The Aggies put together another dominant drive, going 72 yards on 10 plays to score and take the lead yet again. The Irish responded quickly with a 65-yard drive of their own, putting up another rushing touchdown and tying the game again now (21-21). The 4th quarter was a defensive battle, with the Irish gaining the upper hand with an interception that stole much of A&M’s momentum. Notre Dame couldn’t capitalize on the turnover and was forced to punt, but quickly got the ball back at A&M’s 22 with only a few minutes left to play. They knocked in a 31-yard field goal with only 1:38 left on the clock to take a (24-21) lead. The game was sealed by an A&M fumble with just 0:24 seconds left, and the Irish walked away with a win and final record of 11-1.

Lou Holtz made his case for Notre Dame to be named National Champions, but ultimately, FSU was given the title despite losing to the Irish. FSU’s close 4-point win over Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl (16-12) was apparently enough to give them the edge over the Irish. Notre Dame was named National Champion by the Matthews and NCF polls, technically making them Co-National Champions for the 2nd time in Holt’s tenure in South Bend, the other being the 1989 season. Unfortunately, the University does not acknowledge any Co-National Champion Titles, including these two. Once again, the Irish ended the season at #2 behind only FSU, and the Seminoles’ Charlie Ward won the Heisman Trophy, possibly giving the Seminoles the edge over Notre Dame with the National Title pollsters and voters.

Holtz and his 1994 team were in a prime position to respond to the disappointment of the year prior. They began the season at #3, quickly dispatching Northwestern in the first week (42-15) to line up a huge game against #6 Michigan. Unfortunately, that familiar disappointment struck early as the Irish fell to the Wolverines at home (24-26) on a last-second field goal. Following the loss, the Irish would win 3 straight games, not knowing it would be the last time they’d string together consecutive wins that year. Holtz’s squad would drop 3 more games in the regular season, coming against Boston College, BYU, and Florida State, before tying USC (17-17) in the 1994 finale. Despite their poor 5-5-1 record, the Irish were controversially selected to face #4 Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl. The issue was, the Fiesta Bowl was a Tier-1 bowl, and the Irish weren’t even ranked. Due to Notre Dame having faced Colorado twice before and the immense fan base and media draw that comes along with the Fighting Irish, the Golden Domers got the nod. The game's result didn’t help soothe the controversy, as the Irish lost by double digits (24-41) to finish an embarrassing 6-5-1, Holtz’s second-worst record while at Notre Dame.

The 1995 season started with a whimper, as the #9 Irish lost their first game to unranked Northwestern in a heartbreaking (15-17) loss, dropping them to #25. The Irish followed with a win over #13 Texas but lost handily to #7 Ohio State (26-45), knocking them back to #23. Notre Dame then beat #15 Washington and #5 USC to bring their regular season record to 9-2 and earn a matchup against FSU in the Orange Bowl. The now #6 Irish were 11.5-point underdogs heading into the game, but ultimately, Bowden and the Seminoles would defeat Holtz and the Irish (26-31). The Irish ended the season 9-3, and Holtz’s bowl record with Notre Dame fell to 5-4.

The 1996 team posted 2 wins before beating #6 Texas (27-24), earning them the #5 rank heading into their matchup against #4 Ohio State. The Buckeyes handed them their first loss of the year (16-29), dropping the Irish to #11. 3-1 Notre Dame beat #16 Washington (54-20) and moved up to #8 before an embarrassing overtime loss to Air Force in South Bend (17-20), dropping them to 4-2. Despite winning their next 4 games, the 8-2 Irish lost their final regular season game to USC in the second OT loss that year. This would, unfortunately, be Holtz’s last game as the Head Coach of Notre Dame, and the 8-3 Irish turned down an invite to the Independence Bowl against Auburn.

Following the 1996 season, Holtz announced his retirement from the game, finishing his time at Notre Dame with a .765 win percentage, a 100-30-2 record, and 1 National Title. In 11 seasons with the Irish, Holtz took the program to 9 bowl games, winning 5 of them, and posted only 1 losing season. He coached Notre Dame’s last Heisman Trophy winner (Tim Brown), 3 College Football Hall of Fame inductees (Tim Brown, Raghib “The Rocket” Ismael, and Chris Zorich), 10 all-Americans, and sent more than 70 Irish players to the NFL.

The largest criticism of Holtz’s tenure in South Bend comes from the 1989 and 1993 seasons, not because his teams weren’t good enough to win it all, but because they were more than capable yet narrowly fell short of perfection. The pain of coming so close to adding 2 more Titles to Notre Dame’s collective 11 ironically works against Holtz. His closest competition for the #4 spot was Devine, as both coaches brought the program a Championship, but Holtz’s 100 wins, 11-year tenure, and Heisman winner give him the edge. Regardless of what “could have been,” Holtz holds a special place on this list. He inherited a downtrodden program struggling to find its footing after the disappointment of Gerry Faust’s tenure and remains the most modern example of Notre Dame’s success and potential. The Irish owe their last National Title and Heisman Trophy to Holtz, and his mark on the program’s legacy continues to this day. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, and the University unveiled a statue of his likeness on campus in the same year. Despite his age, coach Holtz remains ever-present in coverage of his beloved Fighting Irish and holds a special place in the heart of South Bend’s lore, forever stoking the fire of Notre Dame’s pride.