Lou Holtz era

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IrishGoph55

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i know it was short lived. and i know about the whole ND thing in his contract, but for those of you who were around back then.
How was the Holtz era? Fun n exciting? Was he supposed to be a savior? New to GH so please pardon my random questions here n there. (I don't know any Goph fans besides me n my pops so i never get to talk to anyone about them).
 

There was massive excitement when Holtz arrived. I believe the Dome sold out or was near capacity for one of the Spring Games.

Then he left in the middle of the night, took a loaded recruiting class with him and promised he'd come back to say goodbye to the Gophers he left but most never heard from him again.

Go Gophers!!
 


i have haha. I was so excited when i saw it but so disappointed.
Its like a hipster bar for artsy people. i don't even think it had TV's.
 



He had a losing record while here, but had us in a close battle against Troy Aikman and the Sooners. Lost 7-13, but the whole game felt like we were going to score a winning TD.

The contrast was so stark from Salem to him, we couldn't help but be optimistic.

Problem is his stint has probably scarred three generations of Gopher fans who now worry about a coach leaving before they are even successful.
One could say because of this, the Lou Holtz era might have been the worst thing to ever happen to MN football.
 

Face The Facts said:
He had a losing record while here, but had us in a close battle against Troy Aikman and the Sooners. Lost 7-13, but the whole game felt like we were going to score a winning TD.

The contrast was so stark from Salem to him, we couldn't help but be optimistic.

Problem is his stint has probably scarred three generations of Gopher fans who now worry about a coach leaving before they are even successful.
One could say because of this, the Lou Holtz era might have been the worst thing to ever happen to MN football.
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So much wrong with this. Sure, a losing record. But he was here for two years, starting after 1-10 and 84-13. Two years later we had the dome sold out and a bowl game, back when getting invited to a bowl game mattered. He would've taken us to a Rose Bowl.

Worst thing that happened to us? No ... he showed us what's possible.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

All I care to remember about Carpet Bagger Lou is that he let us down. :mad:
 

Holtz had us on the fast track to winning. I remember it well, though I was only ten years old. We listened to his Gopher Fever album and dreamed of Rose Bowls. Then he left without warning.

Lou Holtz is the reason why, every time we win a few games, a large segment of Gopher fans start worrying about losing our coach to a more prestigious program.
 



I was young when it happened and didn't know exactly what was happening. All I remember was a lot of angry people and still to this day a lot of my family hates Notre Dame. Still a black hole of what could have been. It wouldn't have been so bad if he was replaced by a competent head coach.
 

I remember a friend and I walking into the dome for the Oklahoma game wondering who the hell was going to win-the hype had been so effective. I remember leaving and thinking Lou's coaching had been so effective. Everyone knew he'd been hired by Harvey McKay.

Here's a good glimpse from the Chicago Tribune:

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-10-27-8503130854-story.html
It`s Minnesota`s first practice session for Saturday`s Big 10 game against Ohio State. As always, coach Lou Holtz is prepared.

While the Golden Gophers warm up, Holtz paces the sidelines, scribbling notes to himself. Every move is programmed to avoid wasting time in the workout.

Holtz wants to push the right button in his players` minds so they won`t get uptight about the nationally televised clash with the Buckeyes. Minnesota has just been ranked No. 20 in both wire-service polls and this resurgent team has something to prove to itself, as well as to a homecoming crowd in the Metrodome.

''Remember, you guys,'' Holtz barks. ''This is the most important game you`ll play this week.''

The tension is broken by another of those famous Holtz one-liners. The Gophers chuckle, relax and go to work. Now that they`re regaining football credibility, Holtz keeps the spotlight on his team by saving the gags for the right spot.

''I had no intention of coming here to coach,'' Holtz says. ''I turned down four or five offers, but the Minnesota people seemed so desolate about their football team. I felt at ease with them, and I knew they`d respond when we started to win a few games.''

Even though the Gophers were a modest 4-7 last season in Holtz`s first year, Minnesotans bought his message of hope. Metrodome season ticket sales spurted from 24,417 in 1983, when a 1-10 record got coach Joe Salem fired, to 33,050 at the dawn of the Holtz era and up to 50,085 this year. At $13 for the top tickets in the 62,200-seat indoor arena, that`s big money.

Nobody is sure exactly how the Holtz blend of comedy, pop psychology and old-fashioned revivalism works. Regardless, the bespectacled, sandy-haired coach has left his imprint at every stop in a dynamic career.

Holtz made things happen here in a hurry, jolting the stoic Northlanders out of their lethargy. Football was on the critical list when Dr. Holtz showed up in December, 1983, offering a miracle cure. First, he spread an epidemic of enthusiasm among fans via a media blitz and a barrage of corny but effective promotions, like the Lou Holtz Lookalike Contest. The Gophers swigged a massive dose of his confidence, jumped up and started knocking opponents down. They`ve won five of six starts this season and share first place in the Big 10 with Iowa, the nation`s top-ranked team.
...

''I`m not being humble,'' Holtz insists. ''If there has been a turnaround, it belongs to the people in this state. Give `em something to be proud of and the enthusiasm comes out naturally.''

It also comes out expensively. In an amazingly short time, Holtz has overseen the construction of a $5.5 million facility for the Gopher football team. Insiders report that well-heeled Minnesota alumni like envelope tycoon Harvey Mackay privately assured Holtz that donations for the project would be plentiful.

The football complex, promptly labeled ''the Taj-maHoltz,'' has an indoor practice field with artificial turf and a 55-foot roof, plus locker, training, weight, film and meeting rooms. A players` lounge, stocked with footballs from memorable Minnesota victories, adjoins plush offices for Holtz and his staff. The motif is maroon and gold, and the prevailing spirit is enhanced by hand-painted symbols like the Little Brown Jug that adorn walls, hallways and entrances.

''I had a general idea of what we wanted,'' says Holtz, who masterminded the entire layout down to the last nail. ''When I got here, there was no weight room and no meeting room big enough to hold the entire team. My feeling was, Let`s build a solid facility with a 25-year plan to meet our needs.'
...

''You can sell Minnesota better than anyplace in the country if you do it as a 40-year career opportunity,'' the coach replies. ''This area opens windows to unlimited job potential, theater, opera, outdoor living and pro sports. Our players` grade-point averages have gone up under a new academic counseling program, and one of my priorities is a degree for all of them.''

There`s more to surviving in the cutthroat world of big-time athletics than talk, a reality the 48-year-old Holtz understands. He`s now in a battle of wills with some Minnesota players, exhorting them to pay the price for moving from Big 10 doormats to contenders.

''A coach has to walk a thin line between winning and commitment to people,'' Holtz says after urging sophomore Courtney Holmes to switch to fullback. ''Courtney needs to explode. We have to find the proper way to get it out of him.''
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Believe it or not, we had over 50K fans at the Spring Game!! Holtz had the entire State talking Gopher football. He had a "wish list" which could have kept him in Minnesota. From what I heard he wanted an Athletic Dormitory to house only athletes. We also had on the docket a spot for him to be the replacement A.D. to Paul Giel. According to Sid, Lou was all set to stay, had a meeting set up with then President C. Peter McGrath, and McGrath made Holtz wait over 30 minutes until meeting with him...Holtz was fuming, all this according to Sid. I can remember going to a Goal Line Club meeting about 4 month after Holtz's departure and Giel told us that he wanted to the Football program to "seek its own level". You can't make this up. You could almost sense a collective sigh of relief from the Athletic Dept. and the U of M Administration, when Holtz left. All of the marketing, the hoop-la, the Gopher gear that was being carried by Dayton's and other major retailers......all of that was coming from Holtz and NOT the marking folks at the U. The U was simply in Holtz's way. When he left, they could finally get back to "business as usual" which meant, "let's stay under the radar so nobody notices us". Even today, when I go into retail stores and I see college shirts and jackets and the like, and I see Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and others, but NO Gopher stuff...and I ask the store managers why. They invariably say that the University has licensing policies unlike the other schools, which make it next to impossible to carry their gear. Very typical of the U. Having sat on the Goal Line Club Board of Directors in the past, I can tell you that just about every new idea that was presented was followed by a "we can't do that" response from the representatives of the athletic dept. That is their first response to everything. Enough of my rant!
 



It was a great time, except for him leaving. I was at a business conference in 84 where he spoke to 300 or 400 Broadcasters. He did some magic tricks and had all of us waiting for more! Lou would have been great here.
 

go4rob said:
Believe it or not, we had over 50K fans at the Spring Game!! Holtz had the entire State talking Gopher football. He had a "wish list" which could have kept him in Minnesota. From what I heard he wanted an Athletic Dormitory to house only athletes. We also had on the docket a spot for him to be the replacement A.D. to Paul Giel. According to Sid, Lou was all set to stay, had a meeting set up with then President C. Peter McGrath, and McGrath made Holtz wait over 30 minutes until meeting with him...Holtz was fuming, all this according to Sid. I can remember going to a Goal Line Club meeting about 4 month after Holtz's departure and Giel told us that he wanted to the Football program to "seek its own level". You can't make this up. You could almost sense a collective sigh of relief from the Athletic Dept. and the U of M Administration, when Holtz left. All of the marketing, the hoop-la, the Gopher gear that was being carried by Dayton's and other major retailers......all of that was coming from Holtz and NOT the marking folks at the U. The U was simply in Holtz's way. When he left, they could finally get back to "business as usual" which meant, "let's stay under the radar so nobody notices us". Even today, when I go into retail stores and I see college shirts and jackets and the like, and I see Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and others, but NO Gopher stuff...and I ask the store managers why. They invariably say that the University has licensing policies unlike the other schools, which make it next to impossible to carry their gear. Very typical of the U. Having sat on the Goal Line Club Board of Directors in the past, I can tell you that just about every new idea that was presented was followed by a "we can't do that" response from the representatives of the athletic dept. That is their first response to everything. Enough of my rant!
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Thanks for posting this.
 

go4rob said:
Believe it or not, we had over 50K fans at the Spring Game!! Holtz had the entire State talking Gopher football. He had a "wish list" which could have kept him in Minnesota. From what I heard he wanted an Athletic Dormitory to house only athletes. We also had on the docket a spot for him to be the replacement A.D. to Paul Giel. According to Sid, Lou was all set to stay, had a meeting set up with then President C. Peter McGrath, and McGrath made Holtz wait over 30 minutes until meeting with him...Holtz was fuming, all this according to Sid. I can remember going to a Goal Line Club meeting about 4 month after Holtz's departure and Giel told us that he wanted to the Football program to "seek its own level". You can't make this up. You could almost sense a collective sigh of relief from the Athletic Dept. and the U of M Administration, when Holtz left. All of the marketing, the hoop-la, the Gopher gear that was being carried by Dayton's and other major retailers......all of that was coming from Holtz and NOT the marking folks at the U. The U was simply in Holtz's way. When he left, they could finally get back to "business as usual" which meant, "let's stay under the radar so nobody notices us". Even today, when I go into retail stores and I see college shirts and jackets and the like, and I see Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and others, but NO Gopher stuff...and I ask the store managers why. They invariably say that the University has licensing policies unlike the other schools, which make it next to impossible to carry their gear. Very typical of the U. Having sat on the Goal Line Club Board of Directors in the past, I can tell you that just about every new idea that was presented was followed by a "we can't do that" response from the representatives of the athletic dept. That is their first response to everything. Enough of my rant!
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Amazing if true. If true, why did they hire him in the first place? Us fans knew what we were getting; how could the U not have? Or maybe it was buyers remorse. They suddenly had a tiger by the tail and decided they didn't like the fast lane?

Holtz was the ultimate salesman but backed it up by being a fantastic football coach. He had Tony Rice coming here, who he took with him to South Bend and won a national title with.

Those were heady days.
 

go4rob said:
Believe it or not, we had over 50K fans at the Spring Game!! Holtz had the entire State talking Gopher football. He had a "wish list" which could have kept him in Minnesota. From what I heard he wanted an Athletic Dormitory to house only athletes. We also had on the docket a spot for him to be the replacement A.D. to Paul Giel. According to Sid, Lou was all set to stay, had a meeting set up with then President C. Peter McGrath, and McGrath made Holtz wait over 30 minutes until meeting with him...Holtz was fuming, all this according to Sid. I can remember going to a Goal Line Club meeting about 4 month after Holtz's departure and Giel told us that he wanted to the Football program to "seek its own level". You can't make this up. You could almost sense a collective sigh of relief from the Athletic Dept. and the U of M Administration, when Holtz left. All of the marketing, the hoop-la, the Gopher gear that was being carried by Dayton's and other major retailers......all of that was coming from Holtz and NOT the marking folks at the U. The U was simply in Holtz's way. When he left, they could finally get back to "business as usual" which meant, "let's stay under the radar so nobody notices us". Even today, when I go into retail stores and I see college shirts and jackets and the like, and I see Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and others, but NO Gopher stuff...and I ask the store managers why. They invariably say that the University has licensing policies unlike the other schools, which make it next to impossible to carry their gear. Very typical of the U. Having sat on the Goal Line Club Board of Directors in the past, I can tell you that just about every new idea that was presented was followed by a "we can't do that" response from the representatives of the athletic dept. That is their first response to everything. Enough of my rant!
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Am I the only one that either flips wisconsin and iowa shirts and other apparel around so you can't see the logo or moves them to the back of the rack?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Holtz had the #1 recruiting class in the nation headed to MN. Which he took most of to ND and won a natty there. He did put together the team that beat #2 Michigan even though that was after he left. But all that said, there was a buzz about the program that I've never heard. I know I believed (even at age 15). And it crushed me when he left.
 

go4rob said:
Believe it or not, we had over 50K fans at the Spring Game!! Holtz had the entire State talking Gopher football. He had a "wish list" which could have kept him in Minnesota. From what I heard he wanted an Athletic Dormitory to house only athletes. We also had on the docket a spot for him to be the replacement A.D. to Paul Giel. According to Sid, Lou was all set to stay, had a meeting set up with then President C. Peter McGrath, and McGrath made Holtz wait over 30 minutes until meeting with him...Holtz was fuming, all this according to Sid. I can remember going to a Goal Line Club meeting about 4 month after Holtz's departure and Giel told us that he wanted to the Football program to "seek its own level". You can't make this up. You could almost sense a collective sigh of relief from the Athletic Dept. and the U of M Administration, when Holtz left. All of the marketing, the hoop-la, the Gopher gear that was being carried by Dayton's and other major retailers......all of that was coming from Holtz and NOT the marking folks at the U. The U was simply in Holtz's way. When he left, they could finally get back to "business as usual" which meant, "let's stay under the radar so nobody notices us". Even today, when I go into retail stores and I see college shirts and jackets and the like, and I see Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and others, but NO Gopher stuff...and I ask the store managers why. They invariably say that the University has licensing policies unlike the other schools, which make it next to impossible to carry their gear. Very typical of the U. Having sat on the Goal Line Club Board of Directors in the past, I can tell you that just about every new idea that was presented was followed by a "we can't do that" response from the representatives of the athletic dept. That is their first response to everything. Enough of my rant!
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Nice post. Many people were angry with Lou Holtz and hate him to this day, but for me it was the most excited I have ever been about Gopher football and it isn't even close. I was at school there and my freshman year our intramural football team was named "Salem's Last Hope" as we watched the dismal 1983 season unfold. We were the worst team in the country and it wasn't even close. For those who weren't around think of this Rutgers team we are playing and how bad they are - well I think we would have STILL lost to that team. For the Michigan game, no betting line was on the game as Las Vegas did not believe we could field a competitive team. I have never seen that before or since. After beating Rice, we got blown out by everyone as the injuries were horrific. They actually put an ad in the Minnesota Daily for students to come in and walk on so they would have enough people to practice. So when Lou Holtz came, it was a breath of fresh air. It was fun to see this unbelievable transformation. If Holtz would have stayed there is no doubt in my mind we would have been in the Rose Bowl within the next few years. It was crushing to see him go, and it didn't help they made a huge mistake in hiring DC John Gutekunst to keep the momentum going instead of Bobby Ross who would go on to win a National Championship at Georgia Tech a few years later.

Some here are saying he wrecked things but I would say he showed us what was possible with the right attitude and right coach. So if we ever find someone like him again we had better do whatever it takes to keep him happy and keep him here a long time.
 

go4rob said:
Believe it or not, we had over 50K fans at the Spring Game!! Holtz had the entire State talking Gopher football. He had a "wish list" which could have kept him in Minnesota. From what I heard he wanted an Athletic Dormitory to house only athletes. We also had on the docket a spot for him to be the replacement A.D. to Paul Giel. According to Sid, Lou was all set to stay, had a meeting set up with then President C. Peter McGrath, and McGrath made Holtz wait over 30 minutes until meeting with him...Holtz was fuming, all this according to Sid. I can remember going to a Goal Line Club meeting about 4 month after Holtz's departure and Giel told us that he wanted to the Football program to "seek its own level". You can't make this up. You could almost sense a collective sigh of relief from the Athletic Dept. and the U of M Administration, when Holtz left. All of the marketing, the hoop-la, the Gopher gear that was being carried by Dayton's and other major retailers......all of that was coming from Holtz and NOT the marking folks at the U. The U was simply in Holtz's way. When he left, they could finally get back to "business as usual" which meant, "let's stay under the radar so nobody notices us". Even today, when I go into retail stores and I see college shirts and jackets and the like, and I see Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and others, but NO Gopher stuff...and I ask the store managers why. They invariably say that the University has licensing policies unlike the other schools, which make it next to impossible to carry their gear. Very typical of the U. Having sat on the Goal Line Club Board of Directors in the past, I can tell you that just about every new idea that was presented was followed by a "we can't do that" response from the representatives of the athletic dept. That is their first response to everything. Enough of my rant!
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Silly. The Target by my house has had a Gophers display directly inside the entrance for the past couple of years. Kohls always has a ridiculous amount of Gophers gear.
 

It was an incredibly exciting time. Him leaving was sad. Him taking all the progress with him, that we had paid for, was angering.

Him leaving his bag man Luther Danville behind to take the heat was cowardice on his part and an embarrassment for the U.

That's what i remember.
 

Gopho Sapiens said:
It was an incredibly exciting time. Him leaving was sad. Him taking all the progress with him, that we had paid for, was angering.

Him leaving his bag man Luther Danville behind to take the heat was cowardice on his part and an embarrassment for the U.

That's what i remember.
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That's what i remember as well. I also recall the big time boosters being soured by this. It appeared that support steadlily declined until the Mason era.
 

go4rob said:
Believe it or not, we had over 50K fans at the Spring Game!! Holtz had the entire State talking Gopher football. He had a "wish list" which could have kept him in Minnesota. From what I heard he wanted an Athletic Dormitory to house only athletes. We also had on the docket a spot for him to be the replacement A.D. to Paul Giel. According to Sid, Lou was all set to stay, had a meeting set up with then President C. Peter McGrath, and McGrath made Holtz wait over 30 minutes until meeting with him...Holtz was fuming, all this according to Sid. I can remember going to a Goal Line Club meeting about 4 month after Holtz's departure and Giel told us that he wanted to the Football program to "seek its own level". You can't make this up. You could almost sense a collective sigh of relief from the Athletic Dept. and the U of M Administration, when Holtz left. All of the marketing, the hoop-la, the Gopher gear that was being carried by Dayton's and other major retailers......all of that was coming from Holtz and NOT the marking folks at the U. The U was simply in Holtz's way. When he left, they could finally get back to "business as usual" which meant, "let's stay under the radar so nobody notices us". Even today, when I go into retail stores and I see college shirts and jackets and the like, and I see Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and others, but NO Gopher stuff...and I ask the store managers why. They invariably say that the University has licensing policies unlike the other schools, which make it next to impossible to carry their gear. Very typical of the U. Having sat on the Goal Line Club Board of Directors in the past, I can tell you that just about every new idea that was presented was followed by a "we can't do that" response from the representatives of the athletic dept. That is their first response to everything. Enough of my rant!
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The president was actually Kenneth Keller.
 

Gopho Sapiens said:
It was an incredibly exciting time. Him leaving was sad. Him taking all the progress with him, that we had paid for, was angering.

Him leaving his bag man Luther Danville behind to take the heat was cowardice on his part and an embarrassment for the U.

That's what i remember.
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Luther Darville


A quick synopsis:

https://apnews.com/b3f5b59df31083605fe5b6e0139e1c48
A former University of Minnesota official indicted in the disappearance of some $186,000 is believed to have fled the country, authorities say.

County Attorney Tom Johnson announced Wednesday that a grand jury had returned indictments against Luther Darville, who was fired last month by the university’s Office of Minority and Special Student Affairs.

Johnson said authorities believe he is in the Bahamas.

″We will immediately begin pursuing a federal warrant for unlawful flight,″ Johnson said. ″He is from the Bahamas, he has family there.″
...
Darville was fired after a university audit showed $186,000 missing from the Office of Minority and Special Student Affairs since 1983. Darville told auditors he had given money to 17 minority students, including nine football players.

Evidence shows Darville used some of the money himself, Johnson said. He said he didn’t know how much of the money was spent on athletes or other students.

One former student athlete, Valdez Earl Baylor, told the Star Tribune that Darville gave him about $5,000 in cash over a six-year period. He said the money was handed to him in envelopes.
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Remember the two Holtz years fondly. Year one they were respectable and ended the year beating Iowa. Never heard the dome so loud.

Year two the near miss against Oklahoma as others have mentioned...team got a great ovation as they left the field. But they were 5-1 and ranked 20th and hosting #9 Ohio State. Down late in the fourth, the Gophers were driving for the win. Foggie gets hurt on third down and leaves the game. Backup Alan Holt comes in on 4th and short and gets stuffed. 23-19 loss. That hurt.

Love this clip from 1985...go to 3:57

 


I hate that he left and how he left, but it was great when he was here. I wouldn't change it for anything.
 

Tredwell said:
Remember the two Holtz years fondly. Year one they were respectable and ended the year beating Iowa. Never heard the dome so loud.

Year two the near miss against Oklahoma as others have mentioned...team got a great ovation as they left the field. But they were 5-1 and ranked 20th and hosting #9 Ohio State. Down late in the fourth, the Gophers were driving for the win. Foggie gets hurt on third down and leaves the game. Backup Alan Holt comes in on 4th and short and gets stuffed. 23-19 loss. That hurt.

Love this clip from 1985...go to 3:57

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Classic video. Hate the early 80s techno pop background music that was so prevalent back then. The aging production quality makes me feel really old.

Ol' Lou sounds like he's preaching in revival tent in that at clip (3:57). That guy can spin a yarn.
 

Tredwell said:
Remember the two Holtz years fondly. Year one they were respectable and ended the year beating Iowa. Never heard the dome so loud.

Year two the near miss against Oklahoma as others have mentioned...team got a great ovation as they left the field. But they were 5-1 and ranked 20th and hosting #9 Ohio State. Down late in the fourth, the Gophers were driving for the win. Foggie gets hurt on third down and leaves the game. Backup Alan Holt comes in on 4th and short and gets stuffed. 23-19 loss. That hurt.

Love this clip from 1985...go to 3:57

Click to expand...

Awesome. Thanks for posting.
 

stocker08 said:
Silly. The Target by my house has had a Gophers display directly inside the entrance for the past couple of years. Kohls always has a ridiculous amount of Gophers gear.
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+1. I can't speak to the Holtz/Giel/Magrath part of his post (though it sounds made up to suit a narrative - Magrath wasn't even president when Holtz left), but the retail part is straight BS. I would love to know these so-called retailers that don't carry Gopher gear. I have never had any issue whatsoever finding Gophers gear in-store or online, from Target, Walmart, Kohl's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Fleet Farm, Black Clover, Macy's, Golf Galaxy, etc., etc. among many others, and of course the UMN Bookstore and Goldy's Locker Room. "Licensing policies"...please.
 

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