Lou Holtz, who spent one season as head coach of the Jets but is better remembered as the only coach in college football history to lead six different programs to bowl games, has died at the age of 89.
Notre Dame, where Holtz coached from 1986 to 1996, released a statement from the Holtz family confirming his death.
“Louis Leo “Lou” Holtz, legendary college football coach, Hall of Famer, bestselling author, and one of America’s most influential motivational voices, has passed away at the age of 89 in Orlando, Florida, surrounded by family,” the statement said. “Born January 6, 1937, in Follansbee, West Virginia, Holtz rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most respected figures in college athletics. Over a remarkable five decade career, he led college programs at William & Mary, NC State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame, and South Carolina. He transformed every team he inherited and captured the 1988 National Championship with the Fighting Irish. Holtz was preceded in death by his beloved wife of more than 50 years, Beth, with whom he shared a life grounded in faith, devotion, and service.
“Holtz is remembered for his enduring values of faith, family, service, and an unwavering belief in the potential of others. His influence extended far beyond the football field through the Holtz Charitable Foundation and the many players, colleagues, and communities shaped by his leadership. He is survived by his four children, nine grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Funeral arrangements, including a Mass of Christian Burial at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame, will be announced as details are finalized.”
Holtz was a linebacker at Kent State in the 1950s and became an assistant coach at Iowa in 1960, beginning a career in coaching that would span nearly half a century. Holtz was hired as the head coach at William & Mary in 1969 and led the team to the Tangerine Bowl in 1970. North Carolina State hired Holtz away in 1972, and he led the Wolfpack to four straight bowl games before leaving for the Jets in 1976.
His 10 months in the NFL taught him that he was better suited to college football. Upon his resignation with one game left in the season, Holtz said, “God did not put Lou Holtz on this earth to coach in the pros.”
Holtz then went to Arkansas in 1977 and immediately turned the program around, taking a Razorbacks team that had gone 5-5-1 the year before and leading them to an 11-1 record and the No. 3 ranking in the country. Despite Holtz’s early success, he was fired after going 6-5 in 1983. He then went to Minnesota for two years before Notre Dame hired him in 1986.
It was his tenure at Notre Dame for which Holtz is best remembered. He led the Fighting Irish to a 12-0 season and a national championship in 1988 and finished in the Top 10 four other times. His overall record at Notre Dame was 100-30-2.
Holtz left Notre Dame in 1996 and initially said he was retired, but he returned to coach South Carolina in 1999. Holtz went 0-11 in his first season but then engineered a remarkable turnaround, going 8-4 in his second season and 9-3 in his third. He retired for good after the 2004 season.
The Cardinals will release quarterback Kyler Murray next week. Where will he land?
DraftKings has the Vikings as the early favorites to sign the first overall pick in the 2019 draft, at -110.
The Jets are next at +175, with the Dolphins at +320 and the Browns at +450.
The Falcons, at +500, are one of the most intriguing options, given their talent elsewhere on offense. As mentioned over the weekend, however, new president of football operations Matt Ryan (a 6'5" former quarterback) will have to be content to ride with an undersized signal caller.
There’s a long shot to watch, at +7500: The Rams. They’ll likely need a replacement for Jimmy Garoppolo at No. 2 behind Matthew Stafford, and there’s an unverified (for now) rumor making the rounds that Stafford has already contacted Murray to make the case for coming to L.A.
Murray’s former head coach in Arizona, Kliff Kingsbury, is now a member of the Rams’ coaching staff. And Murray’s former Oklahoma teammate, Baker Mayfield, had a late 2022 cup of coffee with the Rams that may have helped launch his resurgence in Tampa.
The real question is whether Murray wants to play in 2026, or whether he’s content to take a step back for a year and lay the foundation for wherever he’ll be in 2027.
Either way, the clock is ticking (as it is for all of us). Murray turns 29 later this year. The high-end speed and acceleration will fade. At some point, he’ll need to transition to pocket passer if he hopes to keep playing deep into his 30s.
The Jets are the team most likely to draft Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, according to the betting odds.
The Jets are +250 favorites to draft Simpson, who is viewed by most as the second-best quarterback prospect in the 2026 NFL draft. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is a near-lock to go to the Raiders with the first overall pick.
If the Jets love Simpson, they could take him with the second overall pick. But most people see Simpson as the kind of prospect who would go late in the first round or early in the second.
The teams with the next-best odds of drafting Simpson are the Steelers and Rams, both at +280. They’re followed by the Dolphins at +450 and Cardinals at +500. Longer shots are the Browns at +650 and Vikings at +1300.
From 2015-24, the NFL saw five or more franchise tags placed on players each of those offseasons. A total of five tags were used the past two years.
The deadline to tag players in 2026 passed Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
Only three teams used a franchise tag, with Jets running back Breece Hall, Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens and Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts tagged as non-exclusive franchise players. In 2025, Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and Chiefs offensive guard Trey Smith were the only players tagged.
The only other time two or fewer players were tagged was 1994, the first year of the franchise tag, when Pittsburgh tight end Eric Green and Vikings defensive tackle Henry Thomas received their team’s franchise tag.
The Colts placed the transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones on Tuesday.
Teams will have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal with tagged players, or the players will play on the tag for 2026.
Nick Folk had a strong 2025 season with the Jets and the 41-year-old kicker isn’t planning to walk away from the NFL.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Folk plans to play a 19th season in 2026. Folk is set to become a free agent next week.
Folk played for the Jets from 2010-2016 and returned to the team last year. He was 28-of-29 on field goals and has led the league in field goal percentage the last three years while missing just three kicks. Folk is also 47-of-47 on extra points over the last two seasons.
That record should serve Folk well as he looks for a spot to play in 2026.
