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(First of two parts)
EAST LIVERPOOL -- When Lou Holtz was playing football for East Liverpool High School, no one really expected him to go on to a legendary coaching career that put him in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Wade Watts, his high school coach, told his parents that Holtz should go into coaching. However, according to Holtz, Watts later told his parents, "When I said coaching, I meant high school. I didn't mean Notre Dame."
Holtz grew up in Follansbee, West Virginia, and came to East Liverpool while his father, Andy, was in the Navy. His mother, Anne Marie, was a graduate of East Liverpool High School and her parents still lived in Liverpool. So while Lou's father was in the service, Lou, his mom and his sister went to live with them.
"It was a blessing to be raised in East Liverpool," Holtz said.
"One of the reasons for the last 20 years that we have provided scholarships for trade schools in the Ohio Valley is because my wife and I were raised there and because of the morals and values."
Holtz added "I had some great teachers in school."
As Holtz mentioned, he gives roughly $60,000 a year to different trade and vocational schools in the Ohio Valley through the Lou Holtz Hall of Fame.
"The people that you ran around with, the people that were my great friends, are my friends to this day," Holtz said. "Although, most of them have passed away. The ones that have passed away are Nevitt Stockdale, one of the soundest people I ever knew. Jack Goodwin, the list goes on and on.
"These were just great people. Great character and great integrity and also very smart. Very smart and witty and had a great sense of humor."
One of those he grew up with was Frank "Digger" Dawson -- an East Liverpool historian and one of Lou Holtz oldest friends.
"I met him on Sept. 2, 1951," Dawson said. "I was a student manager and was going into my senior year and Lou was going into his sophomore year."
For Dawson, he always knew that Holtz had the mind for coaching and was one of the few that Holtz's success at the highest level of college football did not come as a surprise.
"Wade Watts saw it, too. Lou was just an enjoyable guy to be around," Dawson said. "He was funny and he was a good story teller. In those days, the biggest thing you could do in a Saturday night was go and stand on a street corner and tell stories. And he just had a great speaking and storytelling ability.
"He was fun to be around but then he went to Kent (State) and he developed speaking from the diaphragm," Dawson said. "That was when he really came up with his speaking ability and he started speaking at high school benefits and banquets and then just went up the ladder."
Growing up in Liverpool, there was not a whole lot to do. So for Holtz and his friends, it was all about being together and in the moment.
"It was just a fun time to be there," Holtz said. "Nobody had much money but nobody cared. I had one pair of pants and one shirt that I wore every day to school and you just didn't think twice about it. It was just about growing up to be honest, be forward, care about people and do the right thing."
Holtz attended St. Aloysius School before going to East Liverpool High School. St. Aloysius closed in 2015 after 130 years of being open.
"The nuns at St. Aloysius were such a great training in my religious background which is still strong to this day," Holtz said.
St. Aloysius was also his first introduction to football.
"They asked my Uncle Lou (Tychonievich) to coach St. Aloysius," Holtz said. "I was only in the fifth grade and I went out for the team and since Uncle Lou was the coach, he let me play."
Uncle Lou was a key factor in Holtz growing love of football.
"Uncle Lou was 10 years older than me and he adopted me like I was a little brother," Holtz said. "He would take me to the movies and down to the corner to hang with the guys or take me to watch him play high school football.
"The band would play in front of the diamond and would march down to Patterson Field and all the fans would go with them. The stadium was filled and that was where my love of football was."
Holtz also credits Dan Staleski for his introduction to football.
"He went on to win the Bill Booth Award at East Liverpool and was just a great human being," Holtz said. "That was the main reason (for playing). My uncle and Dan Skaleski were playing and I wanted to play with them."
Another thing that Holtz attributes to his upbringing and future coaching successes is the commitment to family he grew up with.
"We went to picnic out at the park as a family, played cards as a family," Holtz said. "Family was big. Then, your family became your friends outside of the home. I could never think of a better place to be raised with people that genuinely care and want you to do the right thing, because your team eventually becomes your family as well."
Holtz's success even surprised himself to a degree.
"I didn't think I would be a great coach," said Holtz, who guided Notre Dame to its last national championship in 1988. "You have aspirations to be nice and being realistic, be a nice high school coach and make an honest living. My wife had such a positive influence on me. I couldn't quit if I wanted to, she wouldn't have let me."
Holtz's wife, Beth, passed away in June 2020 after battling throat cancer for over 20 years. Beth was an avid philantropist and ran numerous charitable foundations.
"You just have to continue to pursue," Holtz said. "That was what I learned in East Liverpool. Quitting was a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Part of being a Potter was no matter what happened, you continued to pursue and you don't quit and you find a solution and press on. I couldn't think of a better place to grow up than East Liverpool."