At yesterday's Hooters Hula Bowl practice, the former Notre Dame head coach rarely stood still, preferring to move here, there and everywhere with that trademark stride of his.
If he wasn't telling the North quarterbacks what to do and how to do it, he was in the secondary, encouraging the defensive backs to stay close to the wide receivers.
When one player went down with a minor injury, he walked purposefully to the sidelines to see if he was OK, then turned on a dime in time to tell Brigham Young's Kaipo McGuire to make sure to crack back on the right man or the play would fail.
Granted, the 51st annual Hula Bowl is only a college all-star game, but Holtz only knows one way to coach - full speed ahead.
The players seem to enjoy the frail-looking 60-year-old, who won 100 games and a national championship in 11 years with the Fighting Irish. And Holtz? Well, if this is his final venue as a head coach, he plans to go out the same way he came in - a winner.
"If you watch me, you can tell I'm having a good time out here," Holtz said after yesterday's workout at Cooke Field. "I enjoy being in Hawaii. I enjoy the organization. I enjoy the challenge. I enjoy watching people come together.
"I enjoy that phase of it. Can I live without it? I'll probably find out. I really do enjoy coaching. If someone a year ago would have asked me if the Hula Bowl would be the last game of my college career, I would have said it would be a possibility, but not a reality.
"I've never been one to think about well what if, and if this happens that happens. I just like to go through and approach things the best way I can.
"But no, I wouldn't have thought this would be the last game of my career. And it may not be. I guess I never really thought about what my last game would be."
The rumors of Holtz heading to the National Football League this year continue to follow him around like a lost puppy. Even though Dennis Green is still the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, stories that Holtz will be heading there soon have yet to die away. He refuses to be drawn in by any of them.
"It still bothers me that I walked away after only one year with the New York Jets," Holtz said. "The only thing that would bring me out of retirement would be the chance to win the Super Bowl.
"If an NFL team wanted me and felt they had a good chance to win the Super Bowl, then I'd be there. I'm not talking about going out and buying athletes. It would have to be the total commitment all the way down the line.
"But to be honest with you, I don't think I will be coaching this year. I may never coach again. I don't know, it just depends on the situation. Right now, I'm just trying to spend some time with my family and take care of myself."
Holtz brought nearly every family member with him to Hawaii. While he is busy with various Hula Bowl commitments, his family is out and about, enjoying what Hawaii has to offer.
"Everybody but Skip, who is busy recruiting, came with me on this trip," Holtz said. "I don't know if they're having a good time because I haven't talked with them.
"I don't know why I even bothered to get them a room here because they're never in it. I should have let them be beach bums. They were at Pearl Harbor this morning and were scuba diving yesterday. Heck, if you can't have a good time in Hawaii, it's your fault. You need to see a psychiatrist. I love it here."
Before coming to Hawaii, Holtz spent time in the CBS-TV studio with Pat O'Brien and Craig James analyzing the myriad bowl games.
While he enjoyed the experience, he isn't sure if there is any long-term future in it.
"I have a face for radio and a lisp for silence," Holtz said. "I'll have to see if there are any opportunities there. Television is not something where you apply and say, hey, I want to work here, unless it's working the camera.
"I had a good time with Pat and Craig. They were easy to work with. I thought I was right on several of my opinions, but I don't know if that makes any difference. Right now, I'm just trying to relax and enjoy the moment.
"I've barely had a free moment to think about me leaving South Bend. But coaching at Notre Dame was a great thrill and a great honor for me. I'm very proud of the things that we accomplished and what we did in my 11 years there."
When:Sunday
The South quarterback will start the game. Just how many snaps he takes from center will depend on his ailing right shoulder that he injured two weeks ago in the national championship game against Florida State.
Wuerffel has yet to throw the ball in the three South practices this week. So far, Southern Cal's Brad Otton and Fresno State's Jim Arellanes have taken all the snaps. Wuerffel said earlier this week that he didn't want to do anything to hurt his shoulder before next month's NFL combine.
"You have to appreciate his situation," Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden said. "We don't want to do anything to further damage that shoulder. We'll just have to wait and see what develops."
Despite a pending five-year agreement with the military after graduation, the talented senior isn't ready to hang up the pads.
"I would still like to play football professionally if the opportunity presents itself," Morgan said. "Right now, I have a five-year commitment, but we've had a couple of guys get that waivered down to two years in the reserves.
"Of course, I've got to coordinate that with the Air Force. I think definitely after two years I could get a shot in the pros, maybe even before then.
"I like playing football. It's fun and that's how I approach it, but at the same time I can hopefully spark an interest in a couple of clubs around the league."
Morgan became the first player in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 1,000 yards in two seasons. At 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, the wishbone quarterback is better suited as a running back or strong safety.
"I think I can play either position at the next level," Morgan said. "I also believe I'd be good on special teams. Whatever it takes, I want to play. That's one reason I wanted to play here in Hawaii at the Hula Bowl to show scouts what I can do."
Although he played strong safety his last two seasons with the Rainbows, he will compete at cornerback in this Sunday's game.
"I'm back to my old position," Henderson said. "That's where it all began for me as a freshman. I'm hoping I can make some big plays in the Hula Bowl and catch the eyes of some of the scouts."