Former Notre Dame head coach Gerry Faust died Monday at the age of 89, his family announced Monday night.
“It is with tremendous sorrow that we announce the passing of Gerry Faust, loving husband, father, grandfather and coach who dedicated his life to his family, his faith and the teams and players he coached,” the family said in a statement, per the South Bend Tribune.
“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 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.
“While most knew him as a coach, we will long remember him as a wonderful father and grandfather who inspired us through example to live our best lives.”
Faust is best known for his time coaching Notre Dame from 1981-85 after an iconic 20-plus-year run at Moeller High School in Cincinnati.
He went 178-23-2 and won four national titles during his time with the program, per cincinnati.com, and prowess landed him in the National Federation of State High School Associations Hall of Fame in 2004.
Faust then made the jump from preps to the collegiate level and went 30-26-1 during his five seasons with Notre Dame, going 5-6 in his first season after replacing Dan Devine of “Rudy” fame.
It marked Notre Dame’s first losing season since 1963.
Faust later led Notre Dame to a win in the Liberty Bowl in 1983 and an Alamo Bowl appearance in 1984.
Lou Holtz replaced him after the 1985 season, in which the Fighting Irish went 5-6.
He announced his resignation before the regular-season finale, a 58-7 loss to Miami.
Former Notre Dame star Tim Brown, who played two seasons under Faust, remembered his coach in two posts on X.
“As I get older, I know these things are going to happen, but it doesn’t make it any easier,” Brown wrote. “Today, we lost the man that had the nerve to offer a kid a scholarship who was on a team that won 4 games in 3 years in high school. When no one else saw anything in me, he offered me a Scholarship. Gerry Faust! RIP coach! And l THANKS!!”
Faust landed with Akron following his Notre Dame tenure and he coached the Zips to a 36-49-3 record spanning.
Akron went 4-7 in his first year in 1987 and produced a pair of winnings seasons in his time, including a 7-3-1 mark in 1992.
“Coach Faust embodied all that it means to be a Man of Moeller,” Moeller’s interim president, Carl Kremer said in a statement to cincinnati.com. “He inspired his players to be men of faith and character who pursued academic excellence and pushed one another to succeed. He believed in that brotherhood, and he defined it in how he lived.”
