Longtime college football coach and former ESPN college football analyst Lou Holtz entered hospice care last month at the age of 89.
Rece Davis, who worked with Holtz for many years at ESPN, took some time to recall their friendship on a recent episode of the College GameDay Podcast.
“I had an opportunity to speak with his family and to speak with him. He, at the time, wasn’t in position to be able to respond, but they said he was listening to me, which was really a first,” Davis said. “It never happened in the 10 years that we worked together. So I was pleased that. That was delightful.
“He has been such a great and loyal friend to me and my family. Means so much to us. He’s been over for Thanksgiving over the years, and we dearly love him. Prayers with him and with all of the Holtz family as they go through this.There are a million stories that people could tell about Lou Holtz, a lot of them very public, a lot of them very private. He has done immeasurable good for numerous people.”
Holtz and Davis worked together at ESPN from 2005 to 2015 and the College GameDay host shared several stories about Holtz’s sense of humor.
“Several years ago, Lou was gracious enough to invite Mark May and me to go with him to Augusta to play,” Davis said. “Lou’s a member of Augusta National. I’m a terrible golfer, and Lou knew that, but he was going to take me.
“Lou and Mark had a bet over the course of 36 holes. … Lou was coming off neck surgery. He was not supposed to be playing. … It ended up that Lou wins the bet. You can’t have your cell phones there, but you can have cameras at Augusta Nationals. So, they’re going to take a picture of Mark handing Lou the money, and Lou says, ‘Wait a minute.’ And Lou goes back into the clubhouse, won’t take the picture until he comes back out wearing his neck brace, so that it looks as if that he beat Mark wearing a neck brace.”
Give a list to Davis’s full tribute, if only to hear Rece do what is a pretty decent Lou Holtz impression.