President Donald Trump announced Friday that legendary college football coach Lou Holtz will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Trump called Holtz, who won a national championship at Notre Dame in 1988, an “incredible leader” and a “friend” during Friday’s White House press briefing.
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The president said he received letters from a variety of prominent people, including coaches Nick Saban, Ed Orgeron, and Urban Meyer recommending Holtz for the honor.
“We have analyzed it very closely,” he said. “We have looked at all of those recommendations. We’ve looked at Lou’s life and his career, and what he has done for charity, and football is obvious. He was a great coach, but what he has done beyond even coaching, so Lou will be getting the presidential medal of freedom.”
Trump said the date is still “being picked” but won’t be “in the too distant future.”
Holtz’s high-profile decade at Notre Dame came after a successful run at Arkansas and a season at Minnesota and was followed by five years at South Carolina. He compiled a 249-132-7 record as a head college football coach and won 12 bowl games before retiring after the 2004 season. (RELATED: ‘Risk Is Part Of Life’: Lou Holtz Blasts College Football Coronavirus Rules That Make Season ‘Impossible’)
A prominent Trump supporter, Holtz spoke at last week’s Republican National Convention and has been a vocal advocate of standing for the national anthem and respecting the American flag.