Ex-Arkansas coach Lou Holtz inducted into UA Sports Hall of Honor.

ROGERS — Lou Holtz said in his induction speech for the UA Sports Hall of Honor that he expected Arkansas would be his last coaching job in col- lege football.

“We thought we’d stay here the rest of our lives,” Holtz said Friday during a banquet at the John Q. Hammons Center. “Then I was fired.

“I might be the only inductee you’ve ever had that was fired before getting into the Hall of Honor.”

That line drew laughter from the crowd, but Holtz wasn’t joking.

Yes, Nolan Richardson was fired as Arkansas’ basketball coach in March of 2002, but that was after he’d been inducted into the Hall of Honor in 1996.

Holtz is the only inductee

among 22 head or assistant coaches at Arkansas who was honored after being fired.

Frank Broyles, the retired Arkansas athletic director who made Holtz his hand-picked successor as coach in 1977, fired him after seven seasons and a 60-21-2 record.

Holtz never had a losing record at Arkansas, but the Razorbacks had their worst mark of his tenure at 6-5 during his final season in 1983.

Arkansas went 30-5-1 his first three seasons and 30-16-1 his last four.

“Coach Broyles made a decision he thought was best at the time,” Holtz said after the banquet. “That’s the way life is sometimes.”

Holtz told the crowd Friday he initially didn’t appreciate how his tenure ended.

“I was mad, I was bitter, I wanted to go to the media,” Holtz said. “But my wife [Beth] said, ‘No. We’ll move on.’

“I’ve never said a negative word about Arkansas or anybody here.”

Holtz, 79, coached at Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina after he left Arkansas and finished his college career with a 249-132-7 record over 33 seasons, including prior stops at William & Mary and North Carolina State. His longest tenure was at Notre Dame, where he led the Fighting Irish to a 100-30 record in 11 seasons and won the 1988 national title.

During his speech Friday, Holtz praised Broyles, who attended the banquet.

“When Coach Broyles brought me to Arkansas, it changed my life completely,” Holtz said. “Not only was he a great coach, but he was a great athletic director, a great ambassador and a great leader for Arkansas. I hope you all appreciate everything he’s done.

“Coach Broyles, I learned so much from you. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.”

Holtz credited Broyles with helping him get hired as Notre Dame’s coach in 1986 by giving a strong recommendation to Athletic Director Gene Corrigan.

AP file photo Former Arkansas Coach Lou Holtz is carried off the field after leading the Razorbacks to a 31-6 victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl in 1978. Holtz was inducted into the UA Sports Hall of Honor on Friday.