Lou Holtz, ESPN reportedly part ways

Lou Holtz won’t be back as a studio analyst on ESPN next season.

SI.com’s Richard Deitsch reported Sunday that the Hall of Fame coach and the network have parted ways.

Holtz, 78, had said last spring that he would retire following the 2014 season, but a comment from his agent suggests that might not be the case here.

“Lou enjoyed his time and friendships made at ESPN and looks forward to other opportunities in college football,” Holtz’s agent, Sandy Montage, told Deitsch.

Aside from a one-year stint with the New York Jets and a three-year retirement in the late 1990s, Holtz was a head coach in college football from 1969 through 2004. Most notably, he led Notre Dame to the national championship in 1988.

Holtz joined ESPN after his final coaching gig, at South Carolina, ended in 2004. While making contributions on ESPN Radio and “SportsCenter,” Holtz is most known for his work on “Saturday College Football Final,” along with host Rece Davis and fellow analyst Mark May.

That show is already headed for a makeover, with Davis set to join the crew on the network’s “GameDay,” so the timing may have seemed right for Holtz to exit as well.

“Lou brought a champion’s perspective and a legacy of accomplishment to our coverage along with his distinctive style and humor,” an ESPN spokesperson told Deitsch via email. “We appreciate his contributions and wish him all the best in the future.”

Twitter: @chewkiii