Notre Dame Fighting Irish football Gerry Faust has died. He passed away on Monday 11th November 2024 at the age of 89 surrounded by his beloved family. He was confirmed dead through a Facebook post that reads “We lost an absolute GEM this evenig. Coach Gerry Faust has passed away at the age of 89. Rest in Paradise, Coach.” The actual cause of Jerry Faust’s death has not been made known.
Faust’s football journey began in earnest at Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he served as head coach from 1962 to 1980. It was here that Faust first made his mark as a coach, taking an emerging program and building it into a powerhouse in the world of high school football. Faust’s overall record at Moeller was an astounding 178–23–2, a remarkable achievement that includes seven unbeaten seasons, four national high school football titles, and five Ohio state championships in his last six years with the program.
Under his leadership, Moeller became one of the premier football programs in the country. Faust’s ability to not only recruit top talent but also develop players on and off the field helped cement Moeller’s legacy as a football powerhouse. Notable players under Faust’s tutelage included future United States Speaker of the House John Boehner, who played linebacker for Faust and went on to a storied political career.
Faust’s success at Moeller did not come by chance. He built the program from scratch, creating a culture of excellence and discipline that resonated not only with his players but also with the broader community. His coaching philosophy, focused on hard work, preparation, and a commitment to success, laid the foundation for the numerous accolades his teams achieved during his tenure.
Faust’s success at the high school level inevitably caught the attention of college football programs, and in 1981, he was named head coach at the University of Notre Dame, one of the most storied programs in college football history. His hiring was a significant moment, as Notre Dame was coming off the tail end of a disappointing period following the retirement of legendary coach Dan Devine. Faust, a former quarterback at the University of Dayton, was expected to restore Notre Dame to its former glory.
However, Faust’s tenure at Notre Dame, which lasted from 1981 to 1985, proved to be a challenging one. Despite his success at the high school level, the transition to college football was not as seamless. His Notre Dame teams compiled a record of 30–26, which included some notable wins but also some tough losses that kept the program from returning to national prominence. Although Faust brought energy and enthusiasm to the job, he faced the harsh realities of coaching at a top-tier program, where the pressure to win immediately is immense.
After his departure from Notre Dame, Faust found a new home at the University of Akron, where he served as head coach from 1986 to 1994. His time at Akron was marked by a more modest level of success compared to his high school days or his time at Notre Dame. His Akron teams compiled a record of 43–53–4 during his tenure, with the team struggling to break through at the level of competition found in major college football.
Before he became a coach, Faust was a quarterback at the University of Dayton, playing under former Notre Dame coach Hugh Devore. Faust’s playing days at Dayton were marked by strong leadership and on-field intelligence, qualities that would later define his coaching career. Although he was offered a partial scholarship to Notre Dame, Faust chose to attend Dayton, where he graduated in 1958.
