A whirlwind of social media rumors has left the college football world questioning the health of legendary coach Lou Holtz. It has been difficult to separate fact from fiction. Everyone wants to know the truth, but the real story is much more complicated than a simple “RIP” tweet.

Despite what you might be seeing online, Lou Holtz is still alive. He’s breathing, but is currently placed in hospice care at his home in Florida. But for those who may not be aware what hospice care means, it is a type of medical service offered to people who are nearing the end of their life. So, it’s understandable why it led many people to assume the worst right away.

Social media posts started popping up everywhere, including one from former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn saying, “Rest easy, Coach Holtz.” A lot of people just took that as primary confirmation that the former head coach had passed away. However, college football insider Kyle Sutherland hopped onto X and put an end to the flying rumors:

“Rumors that Coach Holtz has passed away are NOT true as of 10:35 p.m. CT on 1/31/26. Per source, ‘Coach is actually feeling better,'” Sutherland wrote on X.

The family released an official statement to clarify things. His son, Kevin Holtz, described the situation as “difficult news” and mentioned that his father is “presently facing a health challenge.” The only focus right now is just keeping him comfortable and ensuring he has quality care at home while he is surrounded by family.

Other close sources, like another son, Skip Holtz, confirmed he is “still fighting the fight.” Reputable sports news outlets have debunked the death rumors because there has been no official announcement from the family or a representative. The “RIP” comments you might see on Twitter are just people reacting quickly to unverified information.

So, while his condition is critical, he is still with us. Lou Holtz is a true icon in the sports world who just turned 89 in January. He is known for winning a national championship with Notre Dame. We are all waiting for an official update from the family when the time comes. In the meantime, let’s revisit the post-playing career of Holtz, who coached six different teams to a bowl game.

Lou Holtz’s legendary coaching career

Lou Holtz is basically the ultimate “turnaround specialist” in college football. Over his 33-year career, he became the only coach in history to lead six different schools to bowl games, which is a wild stat. Whether it was NC State, Arkansas, or South Carolina, he had a knack for taking teams that were struggling and turning them into winners almost overnight.

He finished his career with a massive 249 wins, proving he could win pretty much anywhere he went. Of course, Holtz is most famous for his time at Notre Dame, where he spent 11 seasons. He’s the guy who put the legendary “Play Like A Champion Today” sign in the tunnel that players still hit before every home game. In 1988, he led the Fighting Irish to a perfect 12-0 season and a national championship.

To this day, Lou Holtz is still the last coach to bring a national title to South Bend, which is why he’s considered royalty there. After he retired from coaching in 2004, he spent a decade as a popular analyst on ESPN, where he became a household name for a whole new generation of fans.