Though the Notre Dame football program is currently enjoying success, it recently took a moment to honor the memory of one of its former coaches. On Monday evening, the family of Gerry Faust, who served as coach of the Fighting Irish, announced that he had passed away at the age of 89.
Faust joined Notre Dame during a significant period in its history, having been hired in 1981, just four years after the team secured its 10th National Championship in 1977. He succeeded Dan Devine, and his hiring was noteworthy given that he lacked prior experience as a college coach. Faust came from Archbishop Moeller High School in Ohio, where he had an impressive 19-year tenure, achieving a record of 174-17-2, winning 9 state titles, and earning 4 National Titles. However, his success did not translate to Notre Dame.
As a lifelong fan of the Fighting Irish, Faust eagerly accepted the opportunity presented to him during what was described as a “Bold Experiment.” Unfortunately, he ended his tenure with a disappointing record of 30-26-1 before being let go in 1985, at which point Lou Holtz took over and led the program to its last National Title in 1988.
Despite the challenges he faced as head coach, Faust cherished his time with the Irish. “I only had 26 miserable days at Notre Dame, and that’s when we lost,” he reflected in a 2008 interview. “Other than that, I was the happiest guy in the world. If I had the opportunity to do it again and knew the results would be the same, I’d do it again in a minute.”
