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By KEVIN FREKING, Related Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will award the nation’s highest civilian honor on Thursday to former faculty soccer coach and political ally Lou Holtz.
Holtz, who had a storied 34-year teaching profession that included successful the 1988 nationwide title on the College of Notre Dame, was to obtain the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a personal ceremony within the Oval Workplace.
Trump introduced in September that he would bestow the honour on Holtz, an outspoken backer of the president.
Holtz had a powerful 249-132-7 file over a profession that included head teaching jobs at William & Mary, North Carolina State, the College of Arkansas, the College of Minnesota, and the College of South Carolina. He additionally coached the NFL’s New York Jets in 1976 to a 3-10 file.
Holtz, 83, mentioned in an interview Thursday on “Fox & Mates” that being honored by Trump made the award notably significant.
“I’m unhappy he’s not going be with us for an additional 4 years as a result of he’s executed a lot for his nation and genuinely cares about it,” Holtz mentioned. “So, I stand right here very proudly to just accept this award from President Trump.”
A graduate of Kent State, Holtz additionally served seven years as an officer within the U.S. Military Reserves.
The West Virginia native was amongst audio system at this 12 months’s Republican Nationwide Conference, providing Trump a robust endorsement whereas attacking the president’s Democratic rival, Joe Biden. In his remarks, Holtz referred to as Biden a Catholic “in title solely.” Biden is a training Catholic.
Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, later issued an announcement admonishing the previous coach for utilizing the college’s title in his remarks, saying it “should not be taken to indicate” that Notre Dame endorses Holtz’s views, any candidate or any political get together. Jenkins additionally admonished Holtz for questioning the “sincerity” of Biden’s religion.
Trump introduced the week after Holtz’s conference speech that he would honor the retired coach with the medal.
“We’ve analyzed it very intently. We’ve checked out all these suggestions. We’ve checked out Lou’s life and his profession and what he’s executed for charity, and the soccer is apparent,” Trump mentioned. “He was an incredible coach however what he’s executed past even teaching, so Lou will likely be getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
After his retirement from teaching in 2004, Holtz served as a university soccer analyst at ESPN and CBS.
Related Press writers Aamer Madhani in Chicago and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This materials is probably not revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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