Jolley: Coaches Lou Holtz and Mickey Gorham consistently coached and motivated others

Legendary college football coach Lou Holtz often emphasized the importance of following three rules for success on the football field and in life. Always do the right thing, give everything your best effort and always show people you care.

Those rules took Holtz from his hometown, Follansbee, W.Va., to the College Football Hall of Fame. His credentials included a career record of 249 wins, 132 losses and 7 ties, as well as a consensus national championship in 1988 when his Notre Dame Fighting Irish went 12-0. His 1989 team was 12-1 and finished the year ranked number two.

Coach Holtz, who encouraged his players to “play like a champion today,” passed away last week in Orlando, Fla., one month after entering hospice care.

Former Meyers High School star Rocket Ismail, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019, was a key member of that ’88 national championship team. The two-time All-American and Heisman Trophy runner-up was fortunate to play for two legendary football coaches during his school years; Mickey Gorham at Meyers and Holtz at Notre Dame.

That is some fine company.

Gorham, who passed away in 2006, admired Holtz for his ability to get the most out of his teams.

“Lou is highly skilled in the art of motivation and creating that extra spark in his players to transcend a good team into a great team,” Gorham said after Notre Dame’s national championship.

Holtz likely felt the same about Gorham, who played football at Notre Dame, graduated from the university in 1960 and later coached Meyers for 24 seasons, compiling a career record of 165-86-2. Both coaches taught composure and discipline, emphasizing the importance of the “don’t flinch” theory. The players and teams that don’t flinch, but maintain their composure and focus on executing the game plan, most often win.

Gorham’s son, Mike, remembers going to Notre Dame games in South Bend with his dad many times while growing up, including an encounter with coach Holtz in a campus parking lot near the stadium.

“My cousin, Scott, and I were busy getting autographs,” he said. “Ron Powlus, the Notre Dame quarterback out of Berwick High School, signed for us and we began looking for coach Holtz. Pretty soon he pulled into the lot driving an old, battered car. He certainly wasn’t pretentious.”

Holtz got out of the car, smiled and happily signed for the boys.

“He was very nice,” Mike said, “and wished us both good luck as he walked away.”

Holtz played linebacker at Kent State in 1956-57 and started his college coaching career as an assistant at Iowa in 1960. He also served as an assistant coach at William & Mary, Connecticut, South Carolina and Ohio State before becoming the head coach at William & Mary in 1969.

He was also head coach at North Carolina State (1972-75), Arkansas (1977-83), Minnesota (1984-85), Notre Dame (1986-96) and South Carolina (1999-2004). There was one short detour to the NFL when he was hired to coach the New York Jets in 1976.

Holtz soon realized his passion was in coaching college football and resigned from the Jets after winning just three games and losing 10. Still, the experience taught lessons he benefited from as he returned to the college sidelines.

“I think everyone should experience defeat at least once during their career,” Holtz said. “You learn a lot from it.”

His longest tenure was in South Bend, where he took over a then-struggling Notre Dame team and compiled an overall record of 100-30-2. With his strong faith, big personality, excellent communication and motivation skills, Holtz seemed to come straight out of central casting to lead the Fighting Irish and further the university’s allure. He also emphasized education and demanded that his players finish their degrees.

“You don’t go to Notre Dame to learn something,” he said. “You go to Notre Dame to be somebody. No matter what happens on the field, getting an education makes you a winner.”

Holtz taught fundamentals, kept everyone loose with his great sense of humor and was adept at keeping things in perspective.

“Football coaches don’t have real problems,” he said, “coaching is nothing more than eliminating mistakes before you get fired.”

He demanded total effort and paid attention to every aspect of his football programs.

“In the successful organization, no detail is too small to escape close attention,” he stated.

Longtime Penn State football coach Joe Paterno felt the same way. Paterno often said the way the people answer the phone in the ticket office and how well the staff clean the stadium all reflect on the players, coaches, football program and university.

Lou Holtz always wanted to coach at Notre Dame and even had a special “Notre Dame Clause” written into his contract at the University of Minnesota. The clause allowed him to be released from his commitment to Minnesota for one other position; head coach of the Fighting Irish.

He believed his coaching days were over following the 1996 season in South Bend but missed leading a football team and returned to coach the University of South Carolina from 1999 to 2004.

Holtz later served as a college football analyst for CBS Sports and at ESPN. The author of three best-selling books, he also produced four successful motivational videos; Do Right, Do Right II, If Enough People Care, and Do Right 20 Years Later.

Holtz’s neighbor, the legendary golfer Annika Sorenstam, said, “His legacy isn’t just in wins, but in the way he made people feel.”

Coach Holtz taught that winners are never as good as they think they are, nor losers as bad as they fear. Coach Gorham, likewise, consistently looked for, found, and brought out the best in those around him.

That’s an important lesson for everyone.

David Jolley is a writer, author, public relations and marketing communications consultant, sports fan and historian. For more content, visit davidajolley.com.

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