Tributes are pouring in for Lou Holtz following the coach’s death at the age of 89.

The death of Lou Holtz at 89 on Wednesday, while not surprising, immediately sent ripples through the sports world.

More than a coach, Holtz has inspired a new generation of fans since his last game on the sideline as an analyst for ESPN from 2005 to 2015.

more: Notre Dame Cathedral Announces Sad News About Lou Holtz

Holtz coached the New York Jets to a 3-10 record in 1976, resigning with one game left in the season. Otherwise, he continued as a head coach in the college ranks from 1969 to 2004.

“This story is now over 25 years old and has been told countless times, but it hits very differently today,” ESPN’s Mike Greenberg wrote on his X account Wednesday. “One afternoon I was anchoring SportsCenter and Lou Holtz was on the show. I was very excited to talk to him. He was an icon my whole life. He was very friendly and asked all about me as we walked into the studio to record the interview.

“I told him, ‘Coach, this is really exciting, my wife and I are expecting our first child in the next few weeks.’ He stopped in his tracks and put his finger close to my face. And I will never forget what he said. ‘Young man, the most important thing you can do for your child is to let him know every day how much you love his mother.’

“And just like that, he started walking again. Our daughter was born a month later, and our son was born two years later. And I’ve thought about what Lou Holtz said to me that day a million times since. Rest in peace, coach, and thank you for the best advice you ever gave me.”

“The late, great Lou Holtz was always straight to me,” CBS Sports Network analyst Tom Lemming wrote on his X account Wednesday. “I met him when I was a HC in Minnesota in the early 80s and I always appreciated his candor and honesty. I could always count on him for advice, even when he was making fun of me like in the video below.”

“What I always envied about Lou Holtz’s team was how much they loved and respected each other,” said Christine Golic, wife of former Notre Dame defensive tackle and Mike & Mike host Mike Golic. “That relationship with a coach is rare. Now you see it again at Notre Dame with Marcus Freeman on the team. I love that commitment to trust.”

“Coach Lou Holtz was a legend on and off the field who cared deeply for the state of Indiana and lived an incredible life based on faith, family and giving back,” Indiana Governor Mike Braun wrote on his X account. “He will be greatly missed.”

“I loved this guy,” Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean wrote on her X account Wednesday. “Thank you for your kindness, smiles, and hugs, Lou Holtz. You were pure sunshine. Rest in peace, my friend.”

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