Gerry Faust, the former football coach Notre Dame famously hired straight from the high school ranks, died Monday. He was 89.
From 1981-85, Faust paced the Fighting Irish to a 30-26-1 record before resigning at the end of his fifth season. Known for a gravely, yet higher-pitched voice, Faust’s era was filled with big moments and wild inconsistency. In his 1981 debut, the Irish beat LSU 27-9 and a year later, they stopped No. 1 Pittsburgh with quarterback Dan Marino, 31-16. They played in a pair of bowl games with a win against Boston College in the 1983 Liberty Bowl. But Notre Dame also had two losing seasons and never finished above 7-5 during his five-year tenure.
In 1980, Irish brass hired Faust after an incredible high school career at Cincinnati’s Moeller High School. In 19 seasons, Faust compiled a 178-23-2 record. A devout Roman Catholic, Faust called Notre Dame in his opening news conference, “the only college job I’d consider. The job I prayed for. The job at Notre Dame.”
Gerry Faust, #NotreDame football coach from 1981-85, has died at age 89. pic.twitter.com/5nj3fR1Cnb
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) November 12, 2024
As school officials considered whether to bring back Faust for a sixth year, the coach chose to resign four days before the 1985 season finale at Miami. He told a reporter from the South Bend Tribune, “I don’t like to think of quitting but of changing directions.” Faust then coached the Irish to an embarrassing 58-7 loss to the Hurricanes, who were accused of running up the score.
The following season, Notre Dame hired Lou Holtz as Faust’s replacement. In 1988, Holtz guided the Irish to the national championship.
In 1986, Akron hired Faust, who guided the program in its transition from I-AA to Division I football a year later. Faust led the Zips to a 43-53-3 record in nine seasons.
(Photo: George Gojkovich / Getty Images)
