UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, November 19, 1996
3B
Holtz expected to leave coaching at Notre Dame
The Associated Press
SOUTH $ \mathrm{S N D}, $ Ind. — The Lou Holtz era is finished at Notre Dame.
The coach is expected to announce at his weekly news conference today that he is resigning after 11 seasons. Details were completed at a meeting yesterday with Irish Athletic Director Mike Wadsworth and the Rev. William Beauchamp, the university's executive vice president.
"He met with the administration and told them he's leaving," one of two university sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press.
School representative John Heisler declined to confirm Holtz's resignation, saying only he had met with Wadsworth and Beauchamp. Wadsworth declined comment, and Beauchamp was not immediately available.
Heisler said the decision would be announced at 1 p.m. today.
Holtz's resignation ends nearly a week of speculation that he was leaving. He did nothing to deny it, saying at one point, "We can talk about this forever, but there isn't much I'm going to say. But there's a time and a place for everything."
Although there was speculation that Holtz would make his announcement earlier, today's conference is the logical place. Local media are there, and national media participate via conference call.
Speculation now turns to Holtz's replacement. It was not immediately known whether his successor would be announced today. Among top contenders are Northwestern's Gary Barnett and Irish defensive coordinator Bob Davie.
The Chicago Sun-Times, citing unidentified sources, reported yesterday that Notre Dame wanted Barnett to succeed Holtz. But Barnett said such talk was premature.
"I don't think you ever say never," Barnett said yesterday. "I don't know at this point in time. I would hope Northwestern wants me here.
You never know."
But Barnett refused to say whether he'd been contacted about the job.
Lou Holtz
"I'm not confirming or denying anything at this point in time," he said.
Other contenders mentioned include LSU's Gerry DıNardo, former UCLA coach Terry Donahue and Wisconsin's Barry Alvarez.
What Holtz, 59, will do now isn't clear, but he could be interested in returning to the NFL. One scenario has Holtz coaching the Minnesota Vikings if current coach Dennis Green leaves.
Vikings president Roger Headrick said on Sunday that his team has had no official contact with Holtz.
But Headrick told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis and the Saint Paul Pioneer Press that he could not rule out that at least two board members might have discussed the possibility.
The 10th-ranked Irish (7-2) have two games remaining — one at home against Rutgers and the other at Southern California. A bowl bid, probably the Orange or Fiesta, would close out Holtz's career at Notre Dame.
He is 99-29-2 at Notre Dame — six wins shy of tying Knute Rockne's Irish all-time victory record — and 215-94-7 overall. But he encountered rough times recently. Notre Dane lost 10 games in the last three seasons — more than his 1988-1993 squads lost combined.
His problems this year could have been due, in part, to his attempts to modernize his offense and make better use of Ron Powlus' throwing abilities. He abandoned his beloved running game for a spread offense, but his players never adjusted.
By the time he switched back midway through the season, the Irish
had lost one game and their intensity. A loss to Air Force, which hadn't beaten Notre Dame since 1985, threatened hopes for a 10th-straight bowlbid.
Some have questioned whether health played a role in Holtz's decision to leave the school. A frail-looking man, he's had a series of health problems. He underwent emergency surgery last fall to relieve pressure on his spinal cord, a condition that could have caused paralysis if left untreated.
But he said before the season began that he'd never felt better.
"I've been more interested in doing things that maybe after 20-some years would get to be monotonous. They aren't now," Holtz said. "I still have a burning desire to coach football."
Holtz came to Notre Dame with a reputation for reviving failing programs, and he endeared himself to the Irish faithful by rescuing Notre Dame. When he arrived in November 1985, Notre Dame had lost its place among the college elite after five mediocre seasons under Gerry Faust.
The Irish went 5-6 in Holtz's first season, but rebounded the next year, finishing 8-4 and earning their first bowl bid since 1984.
In 1988, three years after Holtz took over, the iris upset then-No.1 Miami on their way to their first national championship since 1977.
Notre Dame came close to repeating in 1989, but fell to Miami in the season finale. Not even a win over top-ranked Colorado in the Orange Bowl could redeem the 12-1 Irish. Miami won the national title.
Holtz had one more run at the title in 1993, when Notre Dame and Florida State each finished with one loss. Holtz claimed the Irish should have been No. 1 because they'd beaten the Seminoles head-to-head — the same reasoning that gave Miami the championship in 1989.
But voters disagreed, and Notre Dame finished second to Florida State.
SHABBAT DINNER!
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND 5:30P.M. HILLEL HOUSE 940 MISSISSIPPI ST.
CALL 749-JEWS FOR RESERVATIONS ONLY 30 SPOTS!
Bobby Seale, founder of the Black Panters, will speak on a variety of issues concerning all humanity
Tuesday, November 19,1996 8P.M. Kansas Union Ballroom