Gerry Faust, Notre Dame’s football coach for five seasons in the 1980s, died Monday at age 89.
His family announced his death in a statement, calling him a “loving husband, father, grandfather and coach who dedicated his life to his family, his faith and the teams and players he coached.”
Faust coached the Fighting Irish to a 30-26-1 record from 1981-85, hired straight from Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, which he had built into a powerhouse from the ground up as its first football coach. His tenure at Notre Dame was sandwiched between those of Dan Devine and Lou Holtz, both of whom won national championships at the school, but Faust’s teams never reached such heights.
His 1981 team was 5-6 — the first sub-.500 season for Notre Dame since 1963. The team never exceeded seven wins during his tenure, and he resigned after another 5-6 season in 1985.
“What I say about Coach Faust is you won’t find a guy who loved a school more, wanted to win more,” former running back Allen Pinkett told the South Bend Tribune in June 2023. “He just didn’t know how to do it, and it was kind of unfair to him to bring him straight from high school. The thing was, we had so much talent, but I think my best year we won seven games. It was so unfortunate.”
Faust’s teams at Moeller were 178-23-2, and he returned to Ohio as the head coach at Akron, posting a 43-53-3 record.
Moeller players will wear a helmet decal honoring Faust in their state semifinal game Friday night.
His family said Faust also left behind a legacy with the players he coached.
“Throughout an extraordinary life driven by an unwavering and deep devotion to his Catholic faith, he was a beloved mentor to countless young men both on and off the playing field,” his family’s statement said. “His work ethic, optimism, leadership and humility were legendary. He leaves behind a legacy of perseverance, compassion, and inspiration, reminding us all of the extraordinary impact one life can have.”
