President Donald Trump To Award Former Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz The Medal Of Freedom

Longtime college football coach and analyst Lou Holtz is officially set to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump. As relayed by the Associated Press, the president announced on Friday at the White House that he would be bestowing Holtz with the honor, as the former Notre Dame coach looked on.

During his remarks, Trump indicated he had received letters from football coaches and others from around the United States recommending that the 83-year-old Holtz receive the honor. The president went on to call the 2008 College Football Hall of Fame inductee someone that he’s known “for a long time” and a friend.

“We’ve analyzed it very closely. We’ve looked at all those recommendations. We’ve looked at Lou’s life and his career and what he’s done for charity, and the football is obvious,” Trump said. “He was a great coach but what he’s done beyond even coaching, so Lou will be getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”

While Trump did not reveal the exact date or time Holtz would be honored, he did indicate the actual ceremony “won’t be in the too distant future.”

Holtz’s exploits and accomplishments on the collegiate gridiron are extensive, as he worked as either an assistant or head coach at a multitude of institutions from 1960 until 2004. However, he is best known for the 11 years he spent at the helm of the Fighting Irish from 1986 to 1996. In 1988, Notre Dame ran the table with a 12-0 record, capping their season off with a 34-21 win over West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl and becoming the consensus national champions.

He also spent one season in the NFL at the helm of the New York Jets in the 1970s and enjoyed a notable tenure as an analyst at ESPN following the conclusion of his coaching career.

More recently, Holtz joined the ranks of speakers at last month’s Republican National Convention and stirred up controversy with his remarks. During his speech, he made the claim that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was a Catholic “in name only,” despite the fact that the former vice president actively practices the religion.

In response, Rev. John I. Jenkins — the university head at Notre Dame — issued a statement condemning Holtz’s use of the institution’s name during his remarks.

“We Catholics should remind ourselves that while we may judge the objective moral quality of another’s actions, we must never question the sincerity of another’s faith,” he wrote.

In other news, the president has recently been targeted by Bernie Sanders for statements the Vermont senator said indicate Trump may refuse to leave the White House if he loses the general election in November.