Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

You Gotta Believe is the second and final album by American hip hop group, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch (Mark would go on to make 2 albums with reggae artist Prince Ital Joe without the Funky Bunch before later going on to become an actor). Coming off the huge success of Music for the People, which reached #21 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum, the group rushed to the studio to record a follow up. However, "You Gotta Believe" wasn't as successful as the previous album, only making it as high as #67 on the Billboard 200. The album included the semi-successful single "You Gotta Believe". The track "Loungin'" was a collaboration between Mark and older brother Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block.

The album was notably harder than Mark's previous, however the majority of profanities are censored, with no uncensored version available. This practice was used a lot in the 90's as a way to keep an artists edge, while trying to still keep a mass appeal.

Track listing[link]

1. "The Crisis" – 1:02
2. "You Gotta Believe" – 4:32
3. "Gonna Have a Good Time" – 4:32
4. "Loungin'" – 4:26
5. "Don't Ya Sleep" – 2:53
6. "I Want You" – 6:09
7. "The American Dream" – 5:22
8. "The M" – 2:03
9. "Get Up (The Funky Bunch Theme)" – 3:25
10. "Super Cool Mack Daddy" – 4:43
11. "I Run Rhymes" – 5:16
12. "Ain't No Stoppin' the Funky Bunch" – 4:03
13. "The Last Song on Side B Part II: Go On" – 4:41
14. "The Solution" – 1:03

References[link]

This 1990s hip hop album-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

The Rocket Summer
Live AP Tour 2008
Background information
Birth name	Bryce Avary
Born	(1982-12-31) December 31, 1982 (age 29)
Origin	Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Genres	Alternative rock, indie rock, pop rock
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, bass guitar, drums, percussion
Years active	2000 –present
Labels	The Militia Group, Island Records, Aviate Records
Website	www.therocketsummer.com
Members
Bryce Avary

The Rocket Summer is the solo-project of Bryce Avary who is based in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Avary is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and producer. He writes and produces every song on his records, and plays every instrument on them.

He has released four studio albums and several EPs. His most recent release, Of Men and Angels, held the #1 Top Album spot on iTunes upon its release on February 23, 2010.^[1] In April 2008, AP Magazine called him one of "100 bands you need to know."^[2]

Early life & musical interest[link]

Avary was born on December 31, 1982, in Fort Worth, Texas. He first became interested in music around the age of 12 when his father bought him his first guitar which was an imitation brand from a pawn shop for 50 dollars.^[3][4] Avary subsequently began teaching himself other instruments including the drums and piano.^[3] He also picked up saxophone by playing one his father had had since his high school band days.^[4]

Avary joined his first band, at the age of 14.^[5] He later joined a high school "indie rock punk" band inspired by Pavement, Archers of Loaf and Weezer, called Charlie 27.^[5] After the band broke up, Avary began performing local acoustic shows as a teenager in Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton.^[5]

Music career[link]

2000–2003: Self-titled EP[link]

In 2000, Avary self-released his first EP at the age of 16.^[6] The EP included songs he had written between the ages 14 to 16.^[6] He distributed the EP under the name The Rocket Summer, at the suggestion of a friend, to local stores to be sold on consignment; the name was inspired by Ray Bradbury's short story collection The Martian Chronicles, which his friend was reading at the time.^[3] Avary described the project as initially "just a really fun experiment."^[3] After the EP's original 1000 copies sold out, it went out of print until it was later re-released as The Early Years EP under The Militia Group in November 2006.^[6][7]

His music appeared on The Adventure Club segment of the KDGE radio station, and quickly became the most requested local band on the program that year.^[5]

[edit] 2003–2005: Calendar Days & Hello, Good Friend

Avary recorded, produced, and released his debut album, Calendar Days, in 2003.^[8] Using a $15,000 budget, the album was recorded in Kansas on The Militia Group.^[9]

In November 2004, Avary began working on his second album, Hello, Good Friend.^[10] The album peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.^[11] To promote the album, The Rocket Summer toured the US and Japan. The Rocket Summer and The Militia Group subsequently partnered with the then-new new S/R/E Recordings to release the album to Christian retail outlets in July 2005.^[4] Shortly after Hello, Good Friend was released, Avary left The Militia Group for a major record label deal.^[12]

[edit] 2005–2007: The Early Years EP and Do You Feel

In November 2006, The Militia Group re-released The Rocket Summer's self-released 1999 EP as The Early Years EP,^[6] but Avary signed with major record label Island Def Jam Records. Do You Feel was released in July 2007;^[12][13][14] the album reached #44 on the Billboard 200 and #16 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums charts.^[15]

The album's lead single was "So Much Love," and was warmly received by critics for its use of horn section.^[13][16] The Rocket Summer released the second single "Do You Feel" and its music video on September 5, 2008. The video was co-directed and funded by Bryce Avary with director Nate Weaver.^[17] The video featured stories of people with issues such as homelessness, addiction, disease and abuse. The video also featured cameos from artists Andrew McMahon of Jack's Mannequin, Matt Thiessen of Relient K, Josh Farro and Jeremy Davis of Paramore, Mike Herrera of MxPx, Forrest Kline of Hellogoodbye, Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low, and Jonathan Cook of Forever The Sickest Kids.^[17]

[edit] 2009–2012: You Gotta Believe EP and Of Men and Angels and Life Will Write the Words

After the conclusion of touring, Avary took some time off to write his most recent record, Of Men and Angels. He recorded the new album at Ocean Studios in Burbank, CA, from February to April 2009.^[18][19] Avary finished the record in March 2009 but had to wait for behind-the-scenes industry issues to clear.^[19] While waiting, he wrote new songs and recorded them in Austin, Texas.^[19]

Avary mixed some of the tracks with Neal Avron and produced the album with CJ Eiriksson, who also engineered the album.^[19][20] To keep the record "as organic as possible," Avary minimized chopping of the drums, did not use Autotune on the vocals, and included full takes on the guitar.^[19] Avary described the album as "the most substance-filled Rocket Summer album to date."^[19][21] Though originally expected to be released in mid-2009 by Island Def Jam, the album was pushed to a February 2010 release date.^[14][22]

To hold fans over, The Rocket Summer released a digital 4-track EP entitled You Gotta Believe in October 2009.^[23] The EP featured three tracks off the LP Of Men and Angels and one bonus track. The EP debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard charts for Digital Albums.^[24] The Rocket Summer's "You Gotta Believe" music video premiered on AOL in December 2009, and featured clips of fans singing, dancing, and playing along to the tune.^[25] The video was directed by award-winning director Randy Scott Slavin.^[20] Coinciding with the EP release, The Rocket Summer began a 34-city North American tour to promote the upcoming Of Men and Angels album.^[20]

On February 23, 2010, The Rocket Summer released his fourth studio album, Of Men and Angels.^[18] The album debuted at No. 1 on iTunes, surpassing The Black Eyed Peas' The E.N.D. which had previously held the No. 1 spot for Top Album.^[1][26] The album opened to generally positive reviews, with George Heaney of AllMusic calling the record "another fine outing from the Rocket Summer."^[18] To promote the new album, Avary performed the album's lead single "Walls" on KDFW's Good Day Dallas and KTBC's Good Day Austin,^[27] and held a hometown album release party at the Granada Theatre in Dallas, TX, where Matt Thiessen of Relient K and a contest-winning unsigned band opened.^[28] Leading up to the album debut, The Rocket Summer released the entire album for preview on The Rocket Summer MySpace on February 15, 2010, just eight days prior to the in-store release.^[29]

Preceding the album's in-store release, The Rocket Summer released the album's second single, "Hills and Valleys," on February 22, 2010.^[30][31]

Starting March 13, 2010, The Rocket Summer commenced a two-week tour with OneRepublic and Goo Goo Dolls.^[28] Avary was also scheduled to play an acoustic set at the SXSW Music + Film + Interactive Conference in Austin, TX, on March 20, 2010. He confirmed performances at the 16th annual Vans Warped Tour 2010, opening in California the last weekend of June 2010 and running through August 15, 2010.^[28]

In March 2010, TRS was named one of Shred News's "10 Artists to Watch in 2010."^[32]

Avary was recently approached by several platinum-selling artists who have asked him to write singles for their upcoming albums.^{[citation needed]} Avary co-wrote the song "Stomping The Roses" for American Idol alum, David Archuleta.^[33] The song appears on Archuleta's second full-length album, The Other Side Of Down, which debuted worldwide on October 5, 2010.

On Oct. 19, 2010, The Rocket Summer released a five-song digital-only EP, entitled Of Men and Angels: B-Sides, containing songs that failed to make the cut for Of Men And Angels.^[34]

On May 24, 2011, Avary released an acoustic live album entitled Bryce Avary, His Instruments and Your Voices. It is available for free via The Rocket Summer's website.

In April 2012, The Rocket Summer began a 24-date U.S. tour as main support for Switchfoot. On April 16, Avary confirmed a new album would be released on June 5, 2012 and would be titled Life Will Write The Words. At the conclusion of the Switchfoot tour, The Rocket Summer will begin a U.S. headlining tour alongside States and Scene Aesthetic to promote this upcoming album.

Musical style & influence[link]

Often labeled as power pop,^[8][35] The Rocket Summer's music has developed a reputation for its positively infused sentiments, optimistic lyrics and upbeat rhythms,^[12][18][21] with emphasis on Avary's distinctive, high-pitched vocals and instrumental diversity that has drawn comparisons to Ben Folds, the Swift, Relient K, Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson.^[13][18] The Dallas Observer's Pete Freedman wrote of this constructed image: "That's the persona he's carefully crafted—a sort of happy-go-lucky caricature of a young man willing to take the dreaded sad and sappy emo tag his music's been labeled with, turn it on its head and give it a positive message."^[14] Rick Anderson of AllMusic described his music as a range of "headlong blasts of pure power pop cheer" to "sonata form" and ballads—all of which Anderson categorized as "infectiously joyful."^[8] The Rocket Summer's music is marked by his use of guitar, piano, bass, percussion, and melodic hooks.^[4][13] Avary's two largest musical influences growing up were The Beatles and Michael Jackson.^[3]

The Rocket Summer's more recent albums—including the 2010 release Of Men and Angels—have shown a shift in style and content from his earlier releases,^[18][21] with more focus on an indie rock and alternative sound,^[36] as well as on more mature subject material.^[14][18] Avary has cited these changes as "natural" products of "growth and...spiritual growth."^[14][21]

Touring[link]

During performances, The Rocket Summer consists of Bryce Avary, Seth Brewton on guitar, Nick Aranda on bass, and Steven Padin on drums.

The Rocket Summer has toured the US, Canada, the UK, France and Japan, and has played at festivals such as Glastonbury Festival, Summer Sonic Festival, Austin City Limits, SXSW, The Bamboozle, and the 2007 and 2010 Vans Warped Tour. The Rocket Summer has been confirmed to play at the Slam Dunk Festival at Hertfordshire and Leeds University in Leeds, UK, at the end of May 2010.^[37]

In August 2010, Avary announced he would be going on a nationwide headlining tour of the US where he will be playing completely solo, telling stories, looping songs and playing acoustic versions of many songs he has written. The tour is called "The Rocket Summer: Bryce Avary, His Instruments and Your Voices." There are talks of each night being recorded to possibly go on a future live album of the tour.

In September 2010, Avary confirmed that The Rocket Summer would be joining the annual Australian music festival Soundwave in 2011 which tours the country's capital cities. He played two sideshows with Third Eye Blind in Sydney and Melbourne.

On February 16, 2012, Switchfoot announced on their Facebook page that The Rocket Summer would be touring with the band on their Spring 2012 tour.

Philanthropy[link]

Call It Captivate[link]

Avary created a clothing company by the name of Call It Captivate (CIC) in October 2008. According to its mission statement, Call It Captivate aims to "express relevant art through fashion, to inspire, to educate, and most importantly, be used as an outlet to encourage people to give to those in need."^[38] Avary approves the designs for his products, and as of February 2010, has also teamed up with designers from Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters to create apparel for the clothing line.^[39] Call It Captivate has partnered with several credible charities, where 25% or more of each item purchased goes to a charity selected by the buyer. These charities include Blood: Water Mission, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Holt International Adoption, These Numbers Have Faces, The LA Dream Center, The Miracle League of El Paso, and Doctors Without Borders. The company's website also promotes each of these charities by providing their mission statements in an attempt to educate the public and spotlighting a new charity each month.^[38] CIC was featured in February 2009 in AP magazine Issue #247 and in November 2009 in AMP Magazine.

Other charities[link]

Avary has also lent his vocals to several charity events. Avary attended and performed acoustic at the Dallas Rescue for the Invisible Children campaign in Dallas, TX, on April 25, 2009.^[40][41] On June 23, 2009, Avary played at the closing ceremony for the Invisible Children rally, "How It Ends," ^[42] which took place on the White House Ellipse Lawn in Washington D.C.^[43] He also played at Heavy and Light 2010, an annual acoustic show supporting To Write Love on Her Arms.

Personal life[link]

As a child, Avary appeared as a contestant on Nickelodeon's Double Dare after he and his family successfully auditioned for the TV show while on a family vacation at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL.^[44]

Avary attended Colleyville Middle School in Colleyville, TX, where musician and singer-songwriter Norah Jones also attended.^[45] Also coming from his immediate hometown area in Texas are Kelly Clarkson, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato.^[45]

Avary later attended Grapevine High School where he formed his own dodgeball team named The Bombardment Society, inspired by Wes Anderson's film Rushmore.^[5][46] The team became the high school's largest organization at the time of his attendance.^[44] Prior to launching his music career as The Rocket Summer, Avary worked as a Starbucks barista for four months—an experience that inspired him to write the song "This is Me" off of his album Calendar Days.^[44]

In January 2005, Avary married his long-time girlfriend, Tara.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Calendar Days (2003)
• Hello, Good Friend (2005)
• Do You Feel (2007)
• Of Men and Angels (2010)
• Life Will Write The Words (2012)

EPs[link]

• The Rocket Summer (EP) (2000)
• The Early Years EP (2006)
• iTunes EP (2007)
• You Gotta Believe (2009)
• Of Men And Angels: B-Sides (2010)

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Rocket Summer's Official Site
• Burning Stars interview with Bryce
• Interview with Christianity Today

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (December 2008)

Lovebug Starski (born Kevin Smith, May 16, 1960, The Bronx, New York) is an American MC, musician and record producer. He began his career as a record boy in 1971 as hip-hop first appeared in the Bronx, and he eventually became a DJ at the Disco Fever club in 1978.

Starski recorded his first single, "Positive Life," on the Tayster record label in 1981. Later, he recorded the soundtrack to the 1986 film, Rappin', on Atlantic Records, before recording his first album, House Rocker, on Epic/CBS Records. This featured his most successful chart single, "Amityville (The House on the Hill)", a parody song named in reference to the film The Amityville Horror (itself based on alleged supernatural activities surrounding the DeFeo murder case) was a #12 hit in the UK Singles Chart,^[1] and hit the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. in 1986.

Lovebug Starski and World Famous Brucie B also worked together at the Rooftop Roller rink in Harlem during the 1980s. In the 1990s Starski began DJing again with his friend, DJ Hollywood.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• House Rocker (1986)

Singles[link]

• "Positive Life" (1981) (with Harlem World Crew)
• "You've Gotta Believe" (1983)
• "Do The Right Thing" (1984)
• "House Rocker" (1985)
• "Rappin'" (1985)
• "Amityville (The House On The Hill)" (1986)
• "Saturday Night" (1986)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Discogs.com

This biographical article related to hip hop music in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz in July 2007
Sport(s)	Football
Biographical details
Born	(1937-01-06) January 6, 1937 (age 75) Follansbee, West Virginia
Playing career
1956–1957	Kent State
Position(s)	Linebacker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1960 1961–1963 1964–1965 1966–1967 1968 1969–1971 1972–1975 1976 1977–1983 1984–1985 1986–1996 1999–2004	Iowa (assistant) William & Mary (assistant) Connecticut (assistant) South Carolina (assistant) Ohio State (assistant) William & Mary NC State New York Jets Arkansas Minnesota Notre Dame South Carolina
Head coaching record
Overall	249–132–7 (college) 3–10 (NFL)
Bowls	12–8–2
Statistics College Football Data Warehouse
Accomplishments and honors
Championships 1 National (1988) 1 SoCon (1970) 1 ACC (1973) 1 SWC (1979)
Awards 2x Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (1977, 1988) 2x Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (1977, 1988) 2x Sporting News College Football COY (1977, 1988) Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award (1977) ACC Coach of the Year (1972) SEC Coach of the Year (2000)
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 2008 (profile)

Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz (born January 6, 1937) is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker. He served as the head football coach at The College of William & Mary (1969–1971), North Carolina State University (1972–1975), the University of Arkansas (1977–1983), the University of Minnesota (1984–1985), the University of Notre Dame (1986–1996), and the University of South Carolina (1999–2004), compiling a career record of 249–132–7. Holtz's 1988 Notre Dame team went 12–0 with a victory in the Fiesta Bowl and was the consensus national champion. Holtz is the only college football coach to lead six different programs to bowl games and the only coach to guide four different programs to the final top 20 rankings. Holtz also coached the New York Jets of the NFL during the 1976 season.

Over the years, the slender, bespectacled Holtz has become known for his quick wit and ability to inspire players. He is often found as a guest on the popular Richmond, Virginia based Kain Road Radio. In 2005, Holtz joined ESPN as a college football analyst. On May 1, 2008, Holtz was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.^[1]

Early life and coaching career[link]

Holtz was born in Follansbee, West Virginia. After growing up in East Liverpool, Ohio and graduating from East Liverpool High School, Holtz attended Kent State University. He was a member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity, played college football as an undersized linebacker, and graduated in 1959. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 1960, at Iowa, where he received his Master's degree.^[2] From there, he made stops as an assistant at William & Mary (1961–1963), Connecticut (1964–1965), South Carolina (1966–1967) and Ohio State (1968). The Ohio State Buckeyes won the national championship during Holtz's season with the team.

William & Mary[link]

Holtz's first job as head coach came in 1969, at The College of William & Mary, who played in the Southern Conference at the time. In 1970, he led the William & Mary Indians (now Tribe) to the Southern Conference title and played in the Tangerine Bowl.^[3]

North Carolina State[link]

In 1972, Holtz moved to North Carolina State and had a 33–12–3 record in four seasons. His Wolfpack teams played in four bowl games, going 2–1–1.^[3] Holtz received offers to become the Tulane head coach. He at first accepted the offer from David Dixon, the New Orleans Saints founder, then Holtz called Dixon saying he couldn't come to Tulane.^{[citation needed]}

New York Jets[link]

Holtz's lone foray into the professional ranks consisted of one season with the New York Jets in 1976. He resigned with one game remaining in the season after going 3–10.^[2]

Arkansas[link]

Holtz went to the University of Arkansas in 1977. In his seven years there, the Razorbacks compiled a 60–21–2 record and reached six bowl games. In his first season at Arkansas, he led them to a berth in the 1978 Orange Bowl against the Oklahoma Sooners, then coached by University of Arkansas alumnus Barry Switzer.^[3] The Sooners were in position to win their third national championship in four seasons after top-ranked Texas lost earlier in the day to fifth-ranked Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Arkansas' chances looked slim after the team lost several key personnel just before the game. In one of his last practices, All-American guard, Leotis Harris suffered a season-ending injury, and only a couple of days later Holtz suspended both starting running backs, Ben Cowins and Michael Forrest, and top receiver, Donny Bobo, for disciplinary reasons. However, behind an Orange Bowl record of 205 yards rushing from reserve running back Roland Sales the Hogs defeated the Sooners, 31–6.^[4] Holtz was widely considered to be the leading candidate to replace Woody Hayes at Ohio State in 1979, but Holtz did not pursue the job because he did not want to follow Hayes.^[5][6]

Holtz was dismissed following a 6–5 campaign in 1983. At the time, Athletic Director Frank Broyles stated that Holtz had resigned because he was "tired and burned out", and was not fired.^[7] Broyles testified 20 years later that he had fired Holtz because he was losing the fan base with things he said and did.^[8] Holtz confirmed that he had been fired, but that Broyles never gave him a reason,^[9] although reports suggested it may have been due to controversy over his having taped two television advertisements from his coach's office endorsing the re-election of Jesse Helms as Senator from North Carolina.^[10]

Minnesota[link]

Holtz accepted the head coach job at the University of Minnesota before the 1984 season. The Golden Gophers had won only four games in the previous two seasons, but had a winning record in 1985 and were invited to the Independence Bowl, where they defeated Clemson, 20–13. Holtz did not coach the Gophers in that bowl game, as he had already accepted the head coaching position at Notre Dame.^[3] His contract included a "Notre Dame clause" that allowed him to leave if that coaching job were to become available.^[11] Years later, the NCAA placed Minnesota on two years probation for 17 rule violations, two of which were committed by Holtz during his tenure.^[12]

Notre Dame[link]

In 1986, Holtz left Minnesota to take over the then-struggling Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program. A taskmaster and strict disciplinarian, Holtz had the names removed from the backs of the players' jerseys when he took over at Notre Dame, wanting to emphasize team effort. Except for the 1988 Cotton Bowl Classic against Texas A&M, the 2008 Hawaii Bowl, and the 2010 Sun Bowl against Miami, names have not been included on Notre Dame's team jerseys since. Although his 1986 squad posted an identical 5–6 mark that the 1985 edition had, five of their six losses were by a combined total of 14 points.^[13] In the season finale against the archrival USC Trojans, Notre Dame overcame a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit and pulled out a 38–37 win over the stunned Southern Cal team.^[13]

In his second season, Holtz led the Fighting Irish to an appearance in the Cotton Bowl Classic, where the Irish lost to the Texas A&M Aggies, 35–10.^[13] The following year, Notre Dame won all eleven of their regular season games and defeated the third-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers, 34–21, in the Fiesta Bowl, claiming the 1988 national championship. The 1989 squad also won their first eleven games (and in the process set a school record with a 23-game winning streak^[13]) and remained in the No. 1 spot all season until losing to Miami in the season finale. A 21–6 win over Colorado in the Orange Bowl gave the Irish a second-place ranking in the final standings, as well as back-to-back 12-win seasons for the first time in school history.

Holtz's 1993 Irish team ended the season with an 11–1 record and ranked second in the final AP poll. Although the Florida State Seminoles were defeated by the Irish in a battle of unbeatens during the regular season and both teams had only 1 loss at season's end (Notre Dame lost to seventeenth-ranked Boston College), FSU was then voted national champion in the final 1993 AP and Coaches Poll. Between 1988 and 1993, Holtz's teams posted an overall 64–9–1 record.^[13] He also took the Irish to bowl games for nine consecutive seasons, still a Notre Dame record.^[13]

Following an investigation in 1999, the NCAA placed Notre Dame on two years probation for extra benefits provided to football players between 1993 and 1999 by Kim Dunbar, a former Notre Dame student, as well as one instance of academic fraud that occurred under Holtz's successor, Bob Davie. The NCAA found that Holtz and members of his staff learned of the violations but failed to make appropriate inquiry or to take prompt action, finding Holtz's efforts "inadequate."^[14][15]

On September 13, 2008 Lou Holtz was invited back to the campus where a statue of the former coach was unveiled. The ceremony took place during the weekend of the Notre Dame/Michigan game, almost twenty-two years to the day after Holtz coached his first Notre Dame team against the Wolverines.

First retirement[link]

Lou Holtz left Notre Dame after the 1996 season and walked away from a lifetime contract for undisclosed reasons.^{[citation needed]} When pressed, all he would say was, "It was the right thing to do." He was succeeded by defensive coordinator Bob Davie.

In 1996, two members of the Minnesota Vikings's ownership board, Wheelock Whitney and Jaye Dyer, reportedly contacted Holtz. They wanted to bring him in to replace Dennis Green.^[16] Of the rumors surrounding the reasons for Holtz's retirement, one of them was the possible Vikings head coaching position.^[17]

South Carolina[link]

After two seasons as a commentator for CBS Sports, Holtz came out of retirement in 1999 and returned to the University of South Carolina, where he had been an assistant in the 1960s. The year before Holtz arrived, the Gamecocks went 1–10, and the team subsequently went 0–11 during Holtz's first season. In his second season, South Carolina went 8–4, winning the Outback Bowl over the heavily-favored Ohio State Buckeyes. The eight-game improvement from the previous year was the best in the nation in 2000 and the third best single-season turnaround in NCAA history.^[18] It also earned National Coach of the Year honors for Holtz from Football News and American Football Coaches Quarterly. In his third season, Holtz's success continued, leading the Gamecocks to a 9–3 record and another Outback Bowl victory over Ohio State. The nine wins for the season were the second highest total in the history of the program. Under Holtz's leadership, the Gamecocks posted their best two-year mark in school history from 2000 to 2001, going 17–7 overall and 10–6 in SEC play.^[3]

After consecutive 5–7 campaigns in 2002 and 2003, Holtz finished his South Carolina tenure on a winning note with a 6–5 record in 2004. Holtz's time in Columbia saw the resurrection of Gamecock Football, as the program had only one bowl win and no Top 25 finishes in the ten years before his hire. Upon his exit, USC had posted AP Top 25 finishes in 2000 and 2001 (#19 and No. 13 respectively) and had made consecutive New Year's Day bowls for the first time in its history.

In 2005, the NCAA imposed three years probation and reductions in two scholarships on the program for ten admitted violations under Holtz, five of which were found to be major. The violations involved improper tutoring and off-season workouts, as well as a lack of institutional control. No games were forfeited, and no television or postseason ban was imposed. Holtz issued a statement after the sanctions were announced stating, "There was no money involved. No athletes were paid. There were no recruiting inducements. No cars. No jobs offered. No ticket scandal."^[19][20]

Second retirement[link]

On November 18, 2004, Holtz announced that he would retire at the end of the season. On November 21, 2004, the Clemson – South Carolina brawl took place during Holtz's last regular season game.^[21] Instead of ending his career at a post-season bowl game, which was expected, the two universities announced that each would penalize their respective football programs for their unsportsmanlike conduct by declining any bowl game invitations.^[21] At his last press conference as South Carolina's coach, Holtz said it was ironic that he and former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes both would be remembered for "getting into a fight at the Clemson game". Holtz also alluded to his assistance in recruiting his successor, Steve Spurrier.^[21] Despite Holtz's success in turning the program around, some sportwriters have suggested that these accomplishments were overshadowed by his overall losing record and his history of NCAA infractions during his tenure.^[22] Thus, Holtz's legacy at South Carolina is a mixed one that continues to be debated by fans and journalists alike.

Motivational Speaking[link]

Holtz speaks to various companies and student athletes annually. Holtz is an inspiration for Andy Albright President and CEO of National Agents Alliance and spoke about leadership at the 2008 National Convention.^[23]

Holtz also spoke at the 2011 USF Football Kickoff Dinner in early August 2011.^[24]

Books[link]

Holtz has written or contributed to 10 books:

• Holtz, Lou (1974). The Grass Is Greener. [The author]. OCLC 41773996. 
• Holtz, Lou; Dugan, Donald (1978). Holtz' Quotes. [s.l: s.n.]. OCLC 4468721. 
• Holtz, Lou (1978). The Offensive Side of Lou Holtz. [s.l: s.n.]. OCLC 4851306. 
• Holtz, Lou (1980). The Kitchen Quarterback. Little Rock, Arkansas: Parkin Prtng. Co. OCLC 6714133. 
• Holtz, Lou; Heisler, John (1989). The Fighting Spirit: A Championship Season at Notre Dame. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0-671-67673-5. OCLC 20180739. 
• Holtz, Lou (1998). Winning Every Day: The Game Plan for Success. New York: HarperBusiness. ISBN 978-0-88730-904-5. OCLC 39451210. 
• Holtz, Lou; Carpenter, Monte (2002). Quotable Lou: The Wit, Wisdom, and Inspiration of Lou Holtz, College Football's Most Colorful and Engaging Coach. Nashville, Tenn: TowleHouse Pub. ISBN 978-1-931249-18-8. OCLC 49942729. 
• Holtz, Lou (2002). A Teen's Game Plan for Life. Notre Dame, Ind: Sorin Books. ISBN 978-1-893732-53-7. OCLC 49519284. 
• Alvarez, Barry; Lucas, Mike; Holtz, Lou; Patterson, James (2006). Don't Flinch: Barry Alvarez, the Autobiography : the Story of Wisconsin's All-Time Winningest Coach. Champaign, IL: KCI Sports Ventures. ISBN 978-0-9758769-7-8. OCLC 71325993. 
• Holtz, Lou (2006). Wins, Losses, and Lessons: An Autobiography. New York: Wm. Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-084080-8. OCLC 65165505. 

Broadcasting career[link]

Holtz has worked for CBS Sports as a college football analyst and currently works in the same capacity for the cable network ESPN. He works on the secondary studio team, located in Bristol as opposed to the game site. He typically appears on pregame, halftime, and postgame shows of college football games. In addition, he appears on College Football Scoreboard, College Football Final, College Football Live, SportsCenter, and the occasional game. He typically partners with Rece Davis and Mark May. Holtz came under scrutiny after referencing Adolf Hitler in an on-air comment while appearing on College Football Live in 2008.^[25][26] In his analysis of Michigan Wolverines head coach Rich Rodriguez, Holtz stated sarcastically, "Ya know, Hitler was a great leader, too." The next day, Holtz apologized for the comment during halftime of a game between Clemson and Georgia Tech.^[27]

Personal life[link]

Holtz married Beth Barcus on July 22, 1961. They are parents of four children, three of whom are Notre Dame graduates. Their eldest son, Skip, is currently head football coach at The University of South Florida. Holtz is on the Catholic Advisory Board of the Ave Maria Mutual Funds, and gives motivational speeches. Coach Holtz is a member at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Holtz is a devout Roman Catholic and was a guest on the Blessed2Play radio show where he discussed his career and faith life with host Ron Meyer.

Holtz has long been active in Republican Party politics, including his support for Helms, hosting former Vice President Dan Quayle in a 1999 fundraising tour,^[28] speaking at a 2007 House Republicans strategy meeting^[29] and considering entering the Republican primary for a Congressional seat in Florida in 2009.^[30] However, he also made a large contribution to the campaign of Democratic Party Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2008.^[31] He often appears on Hannity on the Fox News Channel. Holtz appeared as himself in a Discover Card commercial in November 2011.^[32]

Honors[link]

Holtz was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Notre Dame on May 22, 2011.^[33] On April 19, 2012, Holtz was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame. ^[34]

Head coaching record[link]

College[link]

Source:^[35]

NFL[link]

See also[link]

• List of National Football League head coaches
• List of college football coaches with 200 wins

Notes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Lou Holtz

• ESPN profile
• Notre Dame profile
• Lou Holtz at the College Football Hall of Fame
• Lou Holtz at the College Football Data Warehouse
• Lou Holtz at the Internet Movie Database
• The Lou Holtz/Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame