Favorite ND coach?

[Clausen2Kamara]

My favorite ND coach during my era would have to be Lou Holtz. I can always remember him kneeling down on the sidelines picking the grass. It was great. The man is full of great character and ambition. He led ND to a title in 88' and arguably another one in 93'. I've read a few of his books and his life gives me inspiration. He came from a family with basically nothing(he only had one shirt and one pair of jeans) and he worked his way up to the most prestigious job in the country. He also overcame a speech impetiment to become one of the greatest motivational speakers of his era. I also got to meet him at his book signing earlier this year. He is simply a class act and gladly took pictures with everyone who asked. He also started the player walk which I was unaware of. He has got a huge heart and as I see him on Gameday, he will obviously always bleed blue and gold.

 

[GREENJERSEYS'07]

I would have to say holtz too.
Before notre dame got the nbc contract there wasn't much notre dame football around here and of course no internet.
In a lot of ways I liked davie too,but then the excuses came.I also liked davie's defensive players ty's first year.
I'm not going to deny I didn't like ty either.I made excuses for him on offense and then he started making excuses too.

 

[jerseyborn1971]

Lou & Charlie are easy picks over Davie & Ty for me. I did like Ty alot. I was pretty upset when he was fired. But CW has been more than I thought he would be.

 

[punishment]

I think most people on these board are of the age where their interest in ND only goes as far back as to Holtz.

Maybe we should ask about our favorite assistant coaches, since there was a time period in the 80s and 90s where Lou kept losing assistant coaches to head coaching jobs on what appeared to be a yearly basis. I am very high on Haywood right now though. I think he will be a great one someday. At the very least he is a great recruiter. He recruited for the LSU team that won the NC, and the Texas team that won the NC.

 

[irishfan]

I know that this is a little off topic, but has anyone else here ever thought that Charlie Weis's son will be a good coach someday. He's learning from one of the best, and seems to follow his Dad around everywhere. But getting back to the subject, I always liked Greg Mattison while he was here, and he could do great things for our defensive line if he was still coaching here.

 

[timm3117]

Lou all the way, I love his fire. Here he was this tiny man among giants, but he wouldn't think twice about grabbing one of those giants by the facemask and leading them off the field!

 

[guff]

I love Lou for his passion, for his ability to capture the emotion of the game and use it to his advantage. That is one area I'd like to see CW improve in. I only saw him fire the troops up once - the defense during UCLA game on 4th down. I'd like to see more of that.

 

[NDOM]

My favorite ND coach during my era would have to be Lou Holtz. I can always remember him kneeling down on the sidelines picking the grass. It was great. The man is full of great character and ambition. He led ND to a title in 88' and arguably another one in 93'. I've read a few of his books and his life gives me inspiration. He came from a family with basically nothing(he only had one shirt and one pair of jeans) and he worked his way up to the most prestigious job in the country. He also overcame a speech impetiment to become one of the greatest motivational speakers of his era. I also got to meet him at his book signing earlier this year. He is simply a class act and gladly took pictures with everyone who asked. He also started the player walk which I was unaware of. He has got a huge heart and as I see him on Gameday, he will obviously always bleed blue and gold.

I heard him in an interview once and the guy asked him why he would Kneel down and pick grass and Lou Holtz replied "Im digging myself a hole so that if we lose I have an escape route" Now how classic is that?????

 

[alexnd]

I love Lou for his passion, for his ability to capture the emotion of the game and use it to his advantage. That is one area I'd like to see CW improve in. I only saw him fire the troops up once - the defense during UCLA game on 4th down. I'd like to see more of that.

He had a ridiculously impressive "crazy" moment during the fourth quarter of the MSU game as well that, frankly, will be burned into my memory for a very long time. He was rilinG up the D. I just watched it over and over again. Got me so damn fired up. of course, the transcript probably reads "$#%^@@#&*%##$%" but whatever, it was intense.

I've been searching youtube for a clip to no avail. if anyone knows what i'm talking aboutnad can find a clip, pm me.

 

[njuneardave]

i remember that.... the players were surrounding him in a circle... charlie was drenched to the bone then went off all of a sudden and started to yell and the players went nuts

 

[Clausen2Kamara]

I heard him in an interview once and the guy asked him why he would Kneel down and pick grass and Lou Holtz replied "Im digging myself a hole so that if we lose I have an escape route" Now how classic is that?????
Hah, classic Lou Holtz, I wish he could be apart of the university in some way but I can't think of a job he could have. I think he is done coaching. I guess he settles for arguing with Mark May and reminding him that he is a retard.

 

[Clausen2Kamara]

sorry Notre Dame our Mother posted that quote I messed up my bad

 

[NDOM]

sorry Notre Dame our Mother posted that quote I messed up my bad

No offense taken dude. we all mess up. especially me. I too would love to see Lou back at Notre Dame somehow. I'm not saying I dont like CW but I just loved Lou.

 

[Denny]

I would also go with Lou Holtz. I would already be pumped for the game then Lou would grab a guy by his facemask, bring him close, then rip him a new one... that got me really going!

 

[Clausen2Kamara]

Thanks for understanding Notre Dame our Mother. I miss Lou too, u just have to admire a guy like that, especially where he came from. He is proof that there is such thing as the american dream.

 

[UpstateIrish]

I'm going with Ara as my favorite coach. I was 6 years old when ND played in the Cotton Bowl, the first game I remember. He was the coach every Sunday morning when the family watched the highlights narrated with Lindsey Nelson. It's just something from that era. To this day Tom Clements is my favorite ND quarterback.

 

[NDOM]

Thanks for understanding Notre Dame our Mother. I miss Lou too, u just have to admire a guy like that, especially where he came from. He is proof that there is such thing as the american dream.

And plus how can you not like a guy that has the same color hair damn near as the Golden Dome?

 

[timm3117]

I too would love to see Lou back at Notre Dame somehow. I'm not saying I dont like CW but I just loved Lou.

Its not about not liking Charlie, he just has to earn it. Lou's a legend like Ara, Leahy and Knute. He is, where Charlie should be in 10 years, On the list of great coaches who won National Championships at Notre Dame. The Greatest Football Program in the history of the sport.

 

[NDOM]

Its not about not liking Charlie, he just has to earn it. Lou's a legend like Ara, Leahy and Knute. He is, where Charlie should be in 10 years, On the list of great coaches who won National Championships at Notre Dame. The Greatest Football Program in the history of the sport.

And I must add "The greatest University in the land" How can people hate Notre Dame if they have NEVER been there? I just dont understand. I love the place. You can here the legends wisper "Here come the Irish" as you walk around campus.

 

[irishfan]

He had a ridiculously impressive "crazy" moment during the fourth quarter of the MSU game as well that, frankly, will be burned into my memory for a very long time. He was rilinG up the D. I just watched it over and over again. Got me so damn fired up. of course, the transcript probably reads "$#%^@@#&*%##$%" but whatever, it was intense.

I've been searching youtube for a clip to no avail. if anyone knows what i'm talking aboutnad can find a clip, pm me.

I was going to PM you, but I thought that with the loss to USC still in some people's minds, maybe watching this will help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qNLsv8EYWE

Svoboda put that up the day after the Michigan State game in this thread.

http://www.irishenvy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12557

 

[alexnd]

I was going to PM you, but I thought that with the loss to USC still in some people's minds, maybe watching this will help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qNLsv8EYWE

Svoboda put that up the day after the Michigan State game in this thread.

http://www.irishenvy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12557

Phenomenal, i still think he literally spit on me during that spasm. What i remembered so very clearly was how little reaction the players showed....like they just felt it and it steeled them. They didnt need to start jumping around, screaming, and the like....they got it.

A few quick nods from Laws, duke snapping the chinstrap....it was GO time.

 

[Vince Young]

Favorite coach? Ara.

Dude could control the weather.

 

[irish_10]

Lou Holtz without a doubt.

 

[IrishDon103]

Charlie.

I'm too young to remember Holtz, so Charlie is the pretty obvious choice....

 

[Óglaigh_na_hÉireann]

All-time: Leahy
During my lifetime: Weis

 

[DomerSib]

ARA and LOU... although I liked Faust's energy and devotion..

 

[illinoisirish88]

Lou...because he once said hi to me while we were both taking a leak in the Loftus Center having snuck into a fall preseason practice

 

[tommy]

lou and cw cant pick one hell every coach ever to lead the irish for that matter

 

[Aaronl]

WEIS. holtz was fun but i think charlie is way more liberal with his play calling. which makes it more exciting.

 

[illinoisirish88]

I guess from an entertainment standpoint, Weis would be right.