Why Ohio State football coach quit in 2023

On January 21, 2025By Littum

Some of history’s most memorable feuds pit unexpected opponents against each other.

Look no further than Ryan Day and Lou Holtz.

Holtz, the legendary former Notre Dame football coach, is 42 years older than Day and hasn’t coached in college football since 2004, the same season Day was 25 years old, two years removed from college and working as a graduate assistant at Boston College.

However, their lack of a shared history didn’t stop a beef from simmering between the two.

After Ohio State’s 17-14 win last season at Notre Dame in a matchup of top-10 teams, Day infamously called out Holtz for comments he perceived as disrespectful.

“I want to know where Lou Holtz is right now,” said day in his interview with NBC after the game.

What prompted Day’s comments? And how did a coach at one of the premier programs in the sport become embroiled in a back-and-forth with a then 86-year-old man who hadn’t roamed the sidelines in nearly 20 years?

Heading into Ohio State’s game against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff championship game on Monday night, a rematch of last season’s Buckeyes winner, here’s a closer look at the feud between Day and Holtz:

What did Lou Holtz say about Ryan Day?

Even by the standards of modern beef, the feud between Holtz and Day began under bizarre circumstances.

The day before Ohio State and Notre Dame were to play at Notre Dame Stadium on September 23, 2023, Holtz appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN, where Holtz was interviewed by show cast member Ty Schmit, who was wearing a Holtz mask and a Notre Dame hat while mimicking the former coach’s manner of speaking, including his lisp.

Holtz was asked about the 2023 iteration of the Fighting Irish reminded him of former Notre Dame teams he coached, a group that included a 1988 team that won the national championship. Holtz said yes they did, adding that the Irish were better than the Ohio State team they were preparing to play.

While giving an explanation for this belief, Holtz offered a quote that added some spice to what was already a highly anticipated game between two of the nation’s best teams.

“Defensively, our defensive line is better,” Holtz said. “You look at Coach Day. I coached at Ohio State under Woody Hayes. We won the national championship when I was there. I’m proud of that. He’s lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Michigan twice though. Everyone, who beats him does it because they’re more physical than Ohio State. I think Notre Dame will take the same approach.”

The comment immediately went viral, with college football fans across the country taking note of Holtz’s words and debating whether they were an accurate criticism of the Ohio State program under Day.

The question of whether they got back to the Buckeyes’ coach was quickly and definitively answered.

Ryan Day-Lou Holtz feud

The Ohio State-Notre Dame game lived up to its huge hype, with the Buckeyes mounting a 15-play, 65-yard drive in the final two minutes, capped off by a 1-yard Chip Trayanum touchdown run with one second left to give his team a 17-14 win.

Reflecting on the win immediately after it, Day talked about his team’s toughness in a postgame interview on the field with NBC before turning his attention to Holtz, beginning with his now-iconic comment wondering where Holtz was at the time . .

“What he said about our team, I can’t believe,” said an impassioned Day. “It’s a tough team right here. We’re proud to be from Ohio. It’s always been Ohio against the world and it’s going to continue to be Ohio against the world. I’ll tell you what — I love those kids and we have a tough team.”

A few days later, Holtz gave a sharp answer during an interview with former college basketball coach and ESPN analyst Dan Dakich.

“It’s his choice,” Holtz said. “I can understand why he did it. He doesn’t want to talk about Michigan, 0-2. He doesn’t want to talk about the big game against Penn State and against Michigan again. He is a great coach. He has done a tremendous job. He’s a great offensive mind. He hired a great defensive coordinator from Oklahoma State (Jim Knowles) who is doing a great job for him. Ohio State is a good football team, but I don’t think they’re a great football team.”

Although he offered some praise for Day, he maintained his criticism of his Ohio State team.

“I honestly felt Notre Dame was the better football team,” Holtz said. “They’re more physical. I’m sorry Coach Day was offended by that. I hope he goes on and has a great year. I don’t think they’re going to be a great football team. I really don’t. I felt Notre Ladies won the football game. All we had to do was fall on the ball.”

Perhaps showing his age, Holtz said he had no idea his comments “would be so widely received,” adding that he didn’t know so many people watched McAfee’s show.

More than a year later, however, it seems that whatever hard feelings there may have been have softened.

With the championship matchup set, Holtz praised Ohio State for its improved offense under first-year coordinator Chip Kelly and its defense, which he said is one of the best in the sport.

“This is a different Ohio State football team than we’ve seen in recent years,” Holtz said on a recent episode of his podcast. “I’ve always said Ohio State isn’t a real physical football team, but that’s not true with this football team.”