Holtz shares USC regrets

[Neo]

http://www.sectalk.com/boards/images/logos/South_Carolina.gifFormer Gamecocks coach says he was “dumb” to stay at USC after second bowl win.

By: Joseph Person
www.thestate.com


Minutes after the worst loss of Lou Holtz’s career, USC president Andrew Sorensen and then-athletics director Mike McGee approached the Gamecocks coach in the locker room at Williams-Brice Stadium and told him he would have to make staff changes in the wake of Clemson’s 63-17 victory in 2003.

Besides firing several original members of his USC staff, Holtz was asked to take over the play calling and strip the offensive coordinator’s title from Skip Holtz, the son he had brought to Columbia to succeed him.

Holtz agreed to do so.

“And that’s where I’m disappointed in myself,” Holtz said. “I should have had the courage to say, ‘No. If you don’t (like) what I’m doing here, fire me.’ But we had played so poorly that night it was unbelievable, and I was just decimated.

“They did what they felt was necessary for the program. It bothers me because when you love someone as dearly and deeply and you do something like this.”

The demotion of his son was one of several topics Holtz touched on Friday night during his first public appearance in Columbia since he retired following the 2004 season.

The 69-year-old Holtz is in the midst of a 13-city tour to promote his new autobiography, “Wins, Losses and Lessons.” But Holtz’s press conference at the downtown Marriott was different. He said repeatedly that he was in town to answer any questions about his six-year tenure with the Gamecocks.

That’s what Holtz did for an hour, speaking at length about his “dumb” decision to stay at USC after the second Outback Bowl, the school’s decision to skip a bowl game after the brawl at Clemson in 2004, and the NCAA sanctions he left behind.

As he wrote in his book, Holtz said that he was ready to leave after the Gamecocks’ second Outback win over Ohio State, which concluded the winningest, two-year stretch in program history.

“Did they force me to stay? No,” Holtz said. “But things are going well. We’ve got good recruiting. We hadn’t won the championship. We hadn’t beaten Tennessee. We hadn’t beaten Florida. ...

“You’re sitting there looking in the mirror, pounding your chest, thinking you’re Superman. It was dumb.”

Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/colleges/university_of_south_carolina/15311141.htm

[GatorHunter]

Holtz is dirty...when he was at ND he was dirty. Everytime he leaves a program, NCAA sanctions usually follow. He sickens me...I hope he isn't a "analyst" this year on TV...I mute the tv when that fool starts his "University of Notre Dame" spills...

I cannot believe Spurs is friends with this idiot...crazy.

[Neo]

Holtz talks about South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Lou Holtz says his biggest regret at South Carolina was not standing up for his son or his staff when administrators demanded changes after the Gamecocks 63-17 loss to Clemson in 2003.
Holtz, 69, flew in Friday night returning to the last of his six coaching stops for the first time since he retired in November 2004, partly to promote his new book, "Wins, Losses and Lessons: An Autobiography," and partly to field questions about his tenure with the Gamecocks.

Of all the mistakes Holtz says he made during his six seasons here, the one that hurts the most was accepting the decision to fire four assistants and demote his son, Skip, from his offensive coordinator role.

In the aftermath of one of South Carolina's most demoralizing defeats, Holtz says he was approached by university president Andrew Sorensen and then-athletic director Mike McGee in the locker room about making changes.

"Yeah, I was asked to make that and that's where I am disappointed in myself. I should have had the courage to say no," Holtz said. " 'You don't like what I'm doing here, fire me.' But we played so poorly that night, I was decimated."

Two days after the defeat at Williams-Brice Stadium, the Gamecocks got rid of four assistants including defensive coordinator Chris Cosh. A few weeks later, Holtz announced that he would take over the offense from his son.

The elder Holtz says he regrets "not standing up for my staff (and) falling on the sword."

In Holtz's newest book, he says he and Skip were misled by South Carolina administrators who had promised that Skip would succeed his father as Gamecocks coach.

McGee, who spoke by phone before Holtz's news conference, said the only agreement in place was that someone from Holtz's staff would be his replacement. McGee said he recently got a call from retired school president, John Palms, regarding Holtz's book. "He concurred with the notion that we did not give coach Holtz any guarantees that his son would succeed him," McGee said, adding that he had not read Holtz's new book.

Skip Holtz said his father's words in the book "were true." He did not wish to speak more about the issue.

In the end, McGee says he has always had "great appreciation for the fact that Lou Holtz came to South Carolina and made such an impact and brought such positive national attention to the university and beyond."

Holtz, an ESPN college football analyst, arrived in town about 7 p.m. and left immediately after for East Carolina, where Skip is the Pirates head coach.

During his hourlong talk, Holtz reflected on several things during his time, some he's spoken about before and others he had not.

Holtz said he was still bothered by the Gamecocks actions in their sidelines-clearing brawl at Clemson in 2004, but did not fully agree with the university's decision to keep South Carolina out of a bowl game as punishment.

"Let's punish the people involved," Holtz said. "But let's not punish everyone who worked hard to get to a bowl game. ... But I understand that it was in the best interest of college football" not to go to the postseason.

He said that he and his coaches were not involved in the NCAA violations that landed the Gamecocks on three years' probation after his retirement. Holtz said most of the infractions occurred in the academic office. "I did not hire them," he said. "They did not report to me."

Holtz was disappointed with the suspensions and dismissals of players he brought in like runner Demetris Summers and defensive lineman Moe Thompson. But Holtz was gratified and proud to watch Sidney Rice and the Gamecocks win games against Tennessee and Florida last year.

And Holtz thought it might have been best had he left after the 2001 season when the Gamecocks wrapped up their second straight Outback Bowl victory and finished with a two-year mark of 17-7 -- the best in school history. He says, though, that while he coached here he "would've never just gone through the motions."

Holtz left the Gamecocks with a 33-37 record and, a season later, three years of NCAA probation.

While Holtz says he might've done some things differently, he's proud overall of what he accomplished with the Gamecocks.

"Do I have any regrets about coming to South Carolina?" he said. "No, absolutely not."



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