Lou Holtz's Children: What the Legendary Coach Said About Family
Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz often spoke about the importance of family and raising his children.
Published March 5 2026, 12:08 p.m. ET
Coach Lou Holtz spent decades becoming one of the most recognizable figures in college football. From national championships to Hall of Fame honors, the longtime coach built a legacy on the field that fans still talk about.
But anyone who followed him closely knows football was never the only thing he talked about. The legendary coach frequently emphasized that family came first, which is why many people looking back at his life often ask about Lou Holtz’s children and the role family played in his story.
Lou Holtz’s children were an important part of the legendary coach’s life.
According to the Indiana Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame biography, Lou and his wife, Beth, raised four children together. Their children are Skip Holtz, Luanne Altenbaumer, Kevin Holtz, and Liz Messaglia.
Throughout his coaching career, Lou regularly spoke about the role family played in shaping his priorities. While he became known for fiery speeches and motivational quotes about football, many of his comments centered on fatherhood and marriage.
In an interview on First Class Fatherhood with Alec Lace, Lou explained how he viewed success in life beyond sports.
"I think that no matter what you achieve, no matter how much money you make, no matter how much accolades you receive, if you aren't successful as a father and husband, you have failed in life. My priorities are my faith, and then my family, and then of course football."
The quote reflects something people who followed Lou often noticed: He consistently ranked faith and family ahead of football.
Did Lou’s children followed him into coaching?
The most widely known of Lou’s children is Skip, who built his own career in college football.
According to Wikipedia, Skip coached several programs, including East Carolina University, the University of South Florida, and Louisiana Tech University.
Other than Lou's legendary football coaching career, the family largely stayed out of the spotlight.
That privacy seemed intentional. Even while becoming one of the most recognizable voices in college football, he often spoke about family in ways that suggested he wanted the spotlight to stay on the field rather than at home.
Many of the stories he shared focused less on the details of his children’s lives and more on the lessons he believed fatherhood had taught him. The message was consistent throughout his career: Accomplishments mattered, but they were never supposed to come before family.
That idea appeared frequently in his motivational talks, where he reminded audiences that success in public life meant little if someone failed the people closest to them. It was a perspective that resonated with fans who admired him not just as a coach, but as a speaker and mentor.
Looking back, the way Lou talked about his children and family helps explain why the subject still comes up when people reflect on his legacy. His career included championships, awards, and decades on the sidelines, but the priorities he described again and again were simpler.
Faith first. Family second. Football after that.