It appears you won’t have Lou Holtz to kick around anymore, college football fans.
According to a report from Richard Deitsch of SI.com, ESPN has parted ways with Holtz, the long-time college football analyst who was a significant and very visible contributor to the WWL’s studio coverage of the sport. Holtz, the former head coach at North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina, has been with the network since 2004, serving mainly as, under the direction of host Rece Davis, the foil to Mark May‘s hubris.
The move is not that surprising as, one, Holtz is 78 years of age and, two, he talked of the 2014 season being his last with the network.
“Lou brought a champion’s perspective and a legacy of accomplishment to our coverage along with his distinctive style and humor,” an ESPN spokesperson said in an email statement to Deitsch. “We appreciate his contributions and wish him all the best in the future.”
With Rece Davis replacing Chris Fowler as the orchestrator of the iconic College GameDay pregame show, and with Holtz’s departure, ESPN‘s Saturday studio shows will certainly take on a new look moving forward. Whether that new look includes the controversial May remains to be seen.