The common ground at Notre Dame between Lou Holtz and Marcus Freeman | Chat Transcript

Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat for March 5, where we’ll chat about the late Lou Holtz as well as everything going on with the current Irish team.

First, some quick programming notes:

► On July 1, Tyler James and I made the move to the On3 network and blueandgold.com and joined some amazing teammates. It’s proven to be a great move for us and, I believe, for our subscribers as well. And if you’re a potential first-time subscriber, we have a great deal — take a test drive for $1. With that, you get all of our premium content, plus all the value you get from a national team of writers and content creators, as well as access to every team site in the On3 network and a full year of The Athletic. Check it out at: https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/.

► If you missed the last episode of our aspiring-to-be-viral Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps, what are you doing with your life? Seriously, the show keeps its shelf life long after the live presentation, so you can catch up now or later on our YouTube channel.  We’ll be back next week, Monday at 7 p.m. ET, for another presentation of Football Never Sleeps with Tyler James co-hosting with me. And check out some great shows on the Blue & Gold YouTube channel as well, including the live Notre Dame Football Show, on Wednesday nights.

► The Third & Gold Podcast is available at all places where you find podcasts, as well as our YouTube Channel. On our most recent episode, we caught up with On3 Insider Pete Nakos, who shared some intriguing insights on the transfer portal, NIL and where college football is headed. The next episode will drop late next week.

As far as this week’s chat …

Please include your name and hometown along with your question(s).

Here are the rules:

https://fightingirish.com/coach/lou-holtz/Eric Hansen: In honor of Lou Holtz, all of them are waived this week, except no spitting.

Let’s get started.

Len from the Jersey Shore: Hello Eric!!!  Lou Holtz was an icon. 😞 he is gone and he will be missed.   He made six different colleges better:  William & Mary, NC State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina.  And to boot a sports network was better when he was part of their shows.  But the best was how he felt about his players, coaches and associates that stood out. I know this is a different time in college football but tell  us in what ways, or what traits, are Coach Holtz and CMF similar?  Thanks for hosting Eric!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eric Hansen: Len!!! Really interesting question, because their styles are so different and the eras in which they coaches are so different. But there are common threads. And I think the two most important that come to mind are these: 1) Marcus Freeman and Lou Holtz both genuinely care about their players beyond football and are coaching them to succeed in life above anything else and using the lessons of football to get them there. 2) Their authenticity. They are true and sincere to who they are, and they own both their successes and setbacks.

Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, thanks so much for hosting the chat this week. I hope your week is going well. I know everyone is excited about the wide receivers room. Look into your crystal ball, which receivers do you think will lead the team in receptions, touchdowns, yards after catch, and total yardage in 2026? Every year, there are certain players who really need to have a great spring, and almost make or break situation. One that comes to mind this year for me is Brenan Vernon, are there any other players this spring that you would place in that category? Can you give us one player on offense and one player on defense who you  think will surprise all of us this  Spring? I think all of us who are Notre Dame fans learned something from Coach Holtz through the years. Obviously, you had the opportunity to be around him much more than we did, what is one of the most important things you learned from him? As always, thanks for hosting the chat and all the great insights.

Eric Hansen: Hi Marie. Thanks for the questions and for being there. I am going to give you four different answers on the receivers question: 1. Jordan Faison for receptions. 2. Jaden Greathouse for TDs, 3. Quincy Porter for receiving yards. 4. Mylan Graham for yards after the catch. I think those four will be 1-4 in all of those categories, but I think James Flanigan at tight end will have better numbers than people are expecting. As far as players who need to make a move or take advantage of their opportunities this spring, here is who comes to mind:

WR Cam Williams, OG  Chris Terek, TEs Ty Washington and Jack Larsen, QB Blake Hebert, DE Loghan Thomas. I do not expect Brenan Vernon to be a factor, but there are always surprises. And you are asking for one player on each side of the ball as a surprise. I think James Flanigan will be TE1, which will surprise some people. On defense, I’ll go with Christopher Burgess Jr. at DT.

One thing I learned in dealing with Lou Holtz … be on time, if not early. I had a phone interview once, and my wife called right as I was picking up the phone to call him. I gently told her it would have to wait, and Holtz let me have it when I called 1 minute after our scheduled time. And then he was wonderful, per usual. But in the bigger picture, what I learned from him is to keep your promises. Holtz made promises to his players that he’d always be there for them in life, and it meant the world to them that he kept that promise.

Mark from Golden Valley, Minn.: As a long time mutual admirer of Coach Holtz, I was wondering Eric what some of your favorite tidbits were about him.  I know you entered late into his tenure, but just curious.  Also, I am sure other ND fans realize this, but Coach Holtz was not just a great football coach, but his leadership style and philosophy were  so applicable and transferable to other industries.  For me he was so enormously helpful in my own personal sales career, including leading people as a Sales Manager.  RIP Lou Holtz.  And let’s ‘leave NO doubt,’ in 2026-2027.  And win the National Championship.  Go Irish!!!

Eric Hansen: Hi Mark. I was talking to former ND All-America offensive lineman Aaron Taylor last night for a story we’ll publish tomorrow morning. And there will be some great insights from Aaron in that story. I am not sure I can give you a complete picture in this forum, though I love the question. But I loved how he used humor as a portal to get you to pay attention to the more profound messages that he had. As an X’s and O’s guy, Lou could adjust very quickly within seasons and even within games. I love that he put team ahead of individuals, and wasn’t afraid to discipline star players. I loved that he did something a lot of people felt could never be done after the Gerry Faust Era, and that’s to bring Notre Dame football back.

Skip from Houston: Please help us with the ranking services and their methodologies.  247Sports had Julius Jones and Cameron Wagner ranked 218 and 126, respectively, until this week when both fell to unranked.  Folorunsho was not ranked until this week when he came in at 78.  Rivals did not have Folorunsho ranked and now he is in its top 20.  Thanks.

Eric Hansen: Hi Skip. I can’t speak to the specifics of 247Sports, because we are not affiliated with them, and thus my phone-a-friend option isn’t in play. But what I can tell you is why players generally move up and down. And it’s often based on performances at national camps and showcases at this time of year. In the case of David Folorunsho, this is a kid who was very much unknown until recently, playing for former Irish All-American Tom Zbikowski at Chicago St. Patrick. I remember Tommy’s dad, Eddie, telling me about this kid and to look for him to blow up — and that Notre Dame should take a look.

Eddie was right. The kid’s recruiting has blown up in recent weeks, and his offer list is reflecting that. As scouts have become aware of him and watch his film etc., he’s made a steady climb. Where he gets weighed down in the composite is that ESPN seems to not have the resources to evaluate players in a timely fashion that the other two services do. Thus, he is unranked by them. Hope that helps.

Ed from Sayville, N.Y.: Hi Eric. Thank you for your column on Coach Holtz. I also enjoyed the piece on Will Schweitzer. Fascinating that Lou passed on Knute Rockne’s birthday. Do you have a sense of what a reasonable timeline might be for a fully ready KVA next season. I think he is a top five player in the Irish lineup.

Eric Hansen: Ed, thank you for the feedback on both! Marcus Freeman, the last time we spoke with him, was optimistic linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa would be back and ready to roll by the start of the 2026 season or at least early in it. What I can tell you is that before spring practice starts on March 20, we will get a full run-through on all the injury timelines from head trainer Rob Hunt, that we will in turn share with you and our other readers.

Ryan from Frankfort. Illinois: Good afternoon Eric sad about Lou Holtz have you had a chance to meet him if holtz  any stories about Lou Holtz also who will be the backup quarterback  i think it will be Blake Herbert GO IRISH ☘️☘️🏈🏈 will watch the thing you did with Lou Holtz back in October.

Eric Hansen: Hi Ryan. Yes it is sad about Lou Holtz’s passing. And yes I met and interviewed him many many times over the years. So when I started as a sports writer, he was actually at Arkansas. He came to Notre Dame in 1986, when I was not yet in the South Bend market. I was covering Big Ten football at the time and met him when he was coaching at Minnesota. Then I was hired at the South Bend Tribune just ahead of the 1988 season.

https://fightingirish.com/coach/lou-holtz/But my primary focus was still the Big Ten early in my time there. So I would cover some ND games, especially when they played Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue. But not on a daily basis. I got to know Lou Holtz even better after he left in 1996. ND football became my main job focus around that time. … As far as No. 2 QB, I am going to stick with my earlier prediction that Teddy Jarrard, who arrives in June, will eventually be the backup in 2026.

By the way, here’s the link to Lou Holtz’s appearance on our Third & Gold Podcast ahead of the USC game in October. This is the YouTube version: LINK

BeefeaterND08 from Raleigh, N.C.: Eric – Great piece on Lou. The more of Lou’s speeches and words of wisdom I hear, the more I think Lou created or minted the culture of the “ND Family” we see thriving today. As more of the stories come out from his players, the more I believe he is responsible for setting the table for Coach Freeman. Freeman is the perfect coach to take Holtz’s legacy and run with it – because Freeman has the smarts, humility and willingness to make it his own. Thank you, God, for sharing Coach Holtz’s and Coach Freeman’s light with the ND Family!

Eric Hansen: Beefeater, thanks for the kind words and for your framing of Lou’s legacy. Couldn’t have worded that better myself.

Tom F from Kennesaw, Ga.: Good day, Eric!!!! Questions first then a comment. Do you think the positive showing that Love/Price/Raridon had at the combine will impact the perception of ND football players and will it help with recruiting? Especially if both Love and Price are in the top 35 picks. I am anxious to hear what Rob Hunt has to say about the recovery of injured players beside Jagusah.  Is he pretty straight with the media or are many of his comments guarded?? I had the pleasure to get to know both Ara and Lou pretty well, mostly because of their love of golf.  As Sales Manager of a major golf shoe company back then I would send them golf shoes. Both were very appreciative.  I bumped into Lou in the Atlanta airport many years after he left ND and thanked him for all he did and his love of Notre Dame. As I gave him my name, he stopped for a minute, said I know that name and then said “Best damn golf shoes I ever wore!!”. I said thank you and God Bless you.  His response, “oh, He already has, many time over.” RIP !!

Eric Hansen: Tom!!!! I think Marcus Freeman’s track record of putting guys in the NFL, including the latest chapter, reinforces another part of his strong recruiting pitch. And that is ND will prepare you for life after football AND prepare you for the NFL dream. So, you get the best of both worlds. Rob Hunt was great with the media last spring. Very thorough. Now, it’s a once-a-year deal, but it is incredibly appreciated and valuable. … And thanks for sharing that great story.

Mike from Soggy South Bend: Aside from winning/on-field success, what do you think makes the biggest difference in the longevity of a coaching career at Notre Dame specifically? Rockne was the brand. Leahy was the most successful from a titles perspective, Ara was the Resurgence, and Lou was the Heart or Spirit. But Dan Devine won a title and quickly moved on. Brian Kelly stabilized the program, but never got over the top. If Freeman decides to remain at ND despite NFL overtures, what will his legacy be based on his personality, approach, or process? I hope that ND reaches the top and thrashes college football with a 4-5 year run of dominance, er, as Freeman might say, “Violence.”

Eric Hansen: Mike, I both share and empathize in your sogginess! To answer your question succinctly, I would say the process, because the process incorporates the other elements you mentioned … an authentic personality that resonates with people, an approach that has to be very layered and also evolving to keep up with the seismic and rapid changes in college football. But the fact that he focuses on the process and not the outcome is everything. And he gets the players to do that too. I can say with pride that my mom was very process-driven and it served her well. So, when I saw it in Marcus Freeman, I saw it as a tremendous asset in him being successful.

Tom F from Kennesaw, Ga.: Eric, do you think that Rob Hunt is only available once a year is tied into not giving out any more info about injured players than we have to during the season???  Rehab has come so far in the past 10-15 years it is almost a miracle.  Do you get any behind-the-scenes intel on how some of the injured players from last year are doing in winter workouts??  Care to pass any of the intel along??  I don’t want to know who any of your sources are because then you might have to kill me, or at least keep me off the Chats.  Thanks for all your hard work. Go Irish!!!!!

Eric Hansen: Hey Tom. I think ND tries to find a happy medium in terms of player privacy while also serving its fan base. With injuries, you’ve got to walk a fine line when you talk to sources, because they are no doctors and sometimes have no clue on timelines. And sometimes get details muddled. Since we’re so close to having a chance to talk to Rob Hunt, I think it’s smart to let that play out. I did some intel pieces in late December and early January in that light, so I’ll stand on those until was get official word. Thanks for asking!!

Jack from Strongsville, Ohio: Hi Eric. What is your best Lou Holtz story? He rejuvenated ND football. Thanks for your great work.

Eric Hansen: My best Lou Holtz story is the one I wrote that went online this morning at 9, Jack. Here it is: A pay cut, a dream and how Lou Holtz changed Notre Dame football history forever

I also have a piece running Friday morning on the inside of a decades-long relationship between Holtz and former All-American Aaron Taylor. … As far as personally, I will say I probably asked him for interviews at least 30 times after he left ND and he said yes every time.

Eric Hansen: OK, seeing as there are no more questions, we’re going to end a little early today so you all can watch the women’s basketball team in the ACC Tourney. Thanks for all the great questions and stories. We’ll be back to do it all over again next Thursday at noon EDT!