He Said “Do What’s Right”—But This Is What It Looked Like

PALO ALTO, CA - OCTOBER 07: Head coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish watches from the sidelines during an NCAA football game against the Stanford Cardinal on October 7, 1989 at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images) | Getty Images Over the past several years, I’ve had the incredible privilege of writing three non-fiction books about former Notre Dame student-athletes—along with a cookbook and a children’s book. Through those stories, I’ve tried to capture something special: the way Notre Dame shapes the people who pass through her doors.

In the Echoes from Notre Dame book series, the stories aren’t just about football games or championships. They’re about the Notre Dame value stream —the lessons, character, and relationships that shape these young men into the men they eventually become. And as I listened to their stories, one name kept appearing again and again.

Coach Lou Holtz. Many of the men I’ve interviewed played under the guidance of the legendary Notre Dame head coach. Through their memories—sometimes funny, sometimes deeply meaningful—I began to realize that Coach Holtz wasn’t just a championship coach.

He was something much more. He was a teacher. A mentor.