Skip's father, Lou Holtz, is an acclaimed former head football coach and currently works as a commentator on the television channel ESPN. Due to his father's career as a collegiate football coach, Skip was exposed to football from an early age. At the time of Skip's birth, Lou was a football assistant for the Connecticut Huskies. Skip attended Fayetteville High School in Arkansas, and played on the school's football team as the team's quarterback. At the same time, his father was the head coach at the University of Arkansas. After graduating from Fayetteville High School, Skip attended Holy Cross College for two years. He then transferred to Notre Dame, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business management. While at Notre Dame, he lettered in football as a special teams member and bac