Lou Holtz, the college football coach who led Notre Dame to a national championship in 1988 and burnished his reputation as a master at rebuilding programs, has died at the age of 89, his family said Wednesday.

According to a statement released by Notre Dame, Holtz died in Orlando, Florida, where he was surrounded by family. A spokesperson said a cause of death was not provided by the family.

“He was successful, but more important he was Significant,” his son Skip wrote on social media.

Current Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman said Holtz had offered him “great support” since he arrived in South Bend and praised the values Holtz emphasized to him: love, trust and commitment.

“Lou’s impact at Notre Dame has gone well beyond the football field,” Freeman said in a statement on social media. “He and his wife, Beth, are respected across campus for their generous hearts and commitment to carrying out Notre Dame’s mission of being a force for good. On behalf of the Notre Dame football program, we send our love to Lou’s family, friends and former players, wishing you all comfort and peace during this difficult time.”

Holtz had a 249-132-7 record over his head coaching career with six schools: William & Mary, NC State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina. He also coached the New York Jets for the 1976 season, finishing 3-10.

After retiring from coaching, Holtz worked in television, including more than a decade with ESPN, but what he did with the Irish stands as his greatest accomplishment.

Notre Dame hired Holtz in 1986 to restore a onceproud program that had stumbled under Gerry Faust. The hire fulfilled a childhood dream for Holtz, who grew up in the 1940s listening to Notre Dame football on the radio and attending Sisters of Notre Dame at St. Aloysius Grade School in East Liverpool, Ohio. Throughout his career, he fondly recalled marching to the Notre Dame victory march every day at noon, recess and dismissal. Holtz even had a “Notre Dame clause” written into his Minnesota contract that would allow him to leave for the Irish only if he took the Gophers to a bowl game.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump in 2020. Holtz joined ESPN in 2004 as a college football commentator, picking up the moniker “Dr. Lou.”

Holtz was born Jan. 6, 1937, in West Virginia, the son of a Navy veteran who served during World War II. He played college football at Kent State before going into coaching and worked under Woody Hayes at Ohio State in 1968.