(Shared courtesy of Frank Pinn and Life After Notre Dame.)
This week’s Throwback Thursday takes us back to the South Side of Chicago and the spirit of Lou Holtz’s first Notre Dame team — where lessons in trust, love, and commitment became a way of life. Few embody those values better than Frank Pinn (’89), a former walk-on turned team leader, record holder, and business mentor who continues to live out the Notre Dame mission well beyond the gridiron.
If Frank’s name sounds familiar, it’s because I first featured him back in 2020 in my original Throwback Thursday story on OneFootDown.com. He’s also one of the proud contributors to my Notre Dame cookbook, Domer Dishes: Inside the Lives (and Kitchens) of Your Irish Gridiron Greats — where you’ll find his favorite recipe and a glimpse into his Irish spirit off the field.
This week, we’re sharing Frank’s story courtesy of Life After Notre Dame (LAND), an organization dedicated to helping Notre Dame student-athletes transition successfully from sports to their next chapter. You can learn more about their incredible mission at lifeafternotredame.com. 💚☘️
Together as a Team for Notre Dame, as Past Players and Today’s LAND Supporters
The LAND team sat down with Frank Pinn (ND ’89), one of their earliest supporters and the inaugural recipient of the LAND Lou Holtz Humanitarian Award. Frank is a native of Chicago, alumnus of Mount Carmel High School, former walk-on member of the Fighting Irish Notre Dame football team, dips record holder, marketing graduate, Holtz’s Heroes Foundation member, 34-year businessman, and current director of Acxion Foodservice. He and his wife Liz (ND ’89), who is also active in LAND, have three children, Mary, Frank, and John. As a LAND Class Rep/Ambassador, Frank mentors former Notre Dame student-athletes as they transition from sports and has helped several of them obtain jobs—a perfect example of the power of the Notre Dame network and a reflection of Frank’s business acumen, dedicated guidance, and commitment to building relationships.
A Legacy of Love, Trust, and Commitment
A highlight of the Blue & Gold Game Legacy Weekend is attending LAND’s annual event, which Frank has done for several years now. It was during one of those weekends when he first met Dr. Tom Carter (ND ’95) and learned about LAND and its mission to support Notre Dame athletes as they transition from sports.
“Dr. Carter’s passion was contagious,” Frank shared. “I knew instantly that LAND was an organization I wanted to be involved with.”
This past spring, Frank attended the LAND event, honored to be among fellow Fighting Irish football alumni and staff, ready to kick off Legacy Weekend, and eager to hear Tom Carter and teammate Pat Eilers (ND ’89) speak. Both are incredibly impressive for all they’ve achieved and for their dedication to support the university, its athletics, and the Notre Dame community.
As he listened, Frank was surprised to hear his own name called as the first recipient of LAND’s Lou Holtz Humanitarian Award.
“Tom talked about my demonstration of Coach Holtz’s call for us to do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care — three rules written on a Post-it by the door to my garage. Pat even retold the story of my dips record — still unbroken since 1986! I felt both humbled and amazed.”
Frank’s humility shines through as he reflects on the weekend: “I soaked in the energy of Legacy Weekend, connecting with old friends and making new ones as we shared our stories. I am continually impressed and inspired by my fellow alumni and energized to do even more for the special bond that is the Notre Dame family.”
Family, From the South Side to South Bend
Frank’s Notre Dame story started at Mount Carmel High School on Chicago’s South Side, following in the footsteps of his father, Frank Sr., who played for Notre Dame in the 1950s. With guidance from his father, coaches, and priests, Notre Dame was always first on his list.
When he was offered a preferred walk-on spot, his dream became reality — and his visit, hosted by Steve Beuerlein (ND ’86), made him feel part of the family right away.
Frank was a member of Coach Holtz’s first team in 1986. During Holtz’s first team meeting, the coach immediately emphasized unity, asking players to identify teammates across the room — and discovering most couldn’t. Holtz ended the meeting with, “We’re done here,” and declared they’d do it again until everyone — from All-American starters to walk-ons and managers — knew each other by name.
That moment changed everything. “Our team dynamic and culture was soon remade,” Frank said, “with Coach bringing us together upon a foundation of love, trust, and commitment.”
Giving 100%, Getting a Photo Finish
Coach Holtz also tapped into their natural competitiveness. At the end of each practice, when the whistle blew, offensive and defensive players raced from their fields to him — never walking, always sprinting.
“I sprinted to the front of the line when Coach started his debrief,” Frank remembered. “One day in April 1986, Sports Illustrated captured that moment in a photo — it would’ve been the cover shot if Jack Nicklaus hadn’t won the Masters that year!”
Frank didn’t even realize he was in the magazine until friends pointed it out. The best part? He wasn’t the only walk-on in the shot — a perfect symbol of Coach Holtz’s philosophy that every role matters.
Finding Trust, Love, and Commitment at Work
Frank carried those lessons into his business career. His first job out of college was as a manager in the food industry, where he quickly discovered that leading in business required different strategies than leading on the field.
He learned to communicate differently, listen better, and motivate individuals in ways that honored their strengths. Over his 34-year career, Frank has built teams, guided through mergers, and led with the same foundation Coach Holtz emphasized — trust, love, and commitment.
“At Acxion Foodservice, our assets are our people,” Frank said. “Customers have come to believe in us because we show our love and commitment for what we do.”
Starting with Connection
Through his work with Life After Notre Dame (LAND), Frank now mentors former student-athletes as they navigate life beyond sports.
“When we meet, the first thing I do is ask them to tell me their story,” he said. “Then I remind them of the skills and values they already have — discipline, teamwork, resilience. Sometimes mentorship is just being there when someone wants to call or text. That’s how connection starts.”
LAND, Frank says, has fueled his passion to give back. “When you serve, you get so much out of it — many times more than you give. Being part of LAND has been rewarding and special for both Liz and me. Along with the Holtz’s Heroes Foundation, it has energized us to get involved and serve others. The first step is bringing people together.”
☘️☘️☘️
From his days doing 86 dips in the weight room to mentoring student-athletes as they navigate life after sports, Frank Pinn remains a true example of what it means to be a Notre Dame man — grounded in faith, family, and service. His journey reminds us that the greatest victories often happen long after the final whistle, when we use what we’ve learned at Notre Dame to lift others higher.
To read more about Frank’s journey, visit his first Throwback Thursday feature from 2020 here, explore his story in Domer Dishes, and learn more about the incredible work of Life After Notre Dame (LAND) at lifeafternotredame.com.
Thank you to Frank Pinn and the LAND team for sharing this story of connection, mentorship, and the enduring power of the Notre Dame family. ☘️
Cheers & GO IRISH!
