Aug 12, 2013 / 12:06 pm
Lou Holtz has put together one of the most distinguished coaching careers in college football.
He made his reputation taking underachieving programs and turning them into winners with perhaps his most famous stint being at the University of Notre Dame where he guided the Irish to a 12-0 won-lost record in 1988 and a national championship, but none of his accomplishments are as important to him as his Catholic faith.
The Follansbee, West Virginia, native is used to being not taken seriously due to his 5-foot, 10-inch frame and having a lisp. Yet his undersized stature has seen him fight for everything since his football playing days as a linebacker at Kent State University where injuries cut short his career. One cannot estimate success by the size of someone, especially when it comes to Holtz and the strong beliefs he has for his religion.
"Some people want to see the proof to believe," Holtz said. "The whole basis of faith is that you don't need to have something shown to you to believe in it."