What former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz said in response to Ohio State coach Ryan Day
Former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz shouldn’t ever be in a position to apologize to Fighting Irish brass. He is responsible for the storied Fighting Irish football program’s last national championship in 1988, after all.
But this week, 86-year-old Holtz called current Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and issued an apology.
“I put him in a bad position, maybe,” Holtz said Tuesday on Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich. “I don’t feel bad about saying it because I believe it.”
What is “it”? On the set of The Pat McAfee Show last Friday, Holtz said Notre Dame was a better football team than Ohio State. He told the Buckeyes to bring their lunch pails because the Irish were going to give them a full day’s work. He also questioned OSU’s physicality.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day took offense to that, and he let the world know about it immediately after the Buckeyes’ thrilling, come-from-behind 17-14 victory over Notre Dame.
Holtz doubled down in a way with Dakich.
“Notre Dame was a better football team,” he said. “Three times, Ohio State had fourth and one, ran the ball, couldn’t make it. Other than the one long run, they averaged less than two yards a carry. If I was coaching, I would have went to our team and said it and I would have went to our team and said, ‘I think you’re better. I think you’re more physical. I think you’re more talented. Coach Day doesn’t believe so, so go prove him wrong and prove me right.’
“But when I say something and I can’t control the outcome of the game, that’s unfair to Coach Freeman.”
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As for what Day said after the game, Holtz was fine with it.
“That’s his choice,” Holtz said. “I can understand why he did. He doesn’t want to talk about Michigan, 0-2. He doesn’t want to talk about the big game coming up against Penn State and against Michigan again. He’s a great coach. He’s done a tremendous job. He’s a great offensive mind. He hired an outstanding defensive coordinator from Oklahoma State. I think he’s doing a tremendous job. Ohio State’s a good football team. I don’t think they’re a great football team. He can go after me all he wants.”
Holtz likened the warfare of words to when he told his players that if there was a fight in the parking lot after the 1988 Notre Dame vs. Miami game, he wanted the Irish to “save Jimmy Johnson‘s ass for [him].” Johnson was Miami’s highly successful head coach at the time.
“I didn’t mean it, but it came out,” Holtz said.
Holtz admitted that it’s “wrong” to say negative things about another team in the days leading up to a game. He said he shouldn’t have called Ohio State soft but rather just focused on what he likes about this year’s Notre Dame team. And even after the scoreboard showed a Notre Dame loss, he’s still high on the 2023 Irish.
“I honestly felt that Notre Dame was the better football team and more physical,” Holtz said. “I’m sorry that coach Day was offended by it. I hope he goes on, has a wonderful year. I don’t think they’ll be a great football team. I really don’t. I felt Notre Dame won the football game.”
