Gerry Faust interrupted my reunion Mass
by milhouse (2019-06-04 17:37:18)

The Class of 1994 had its class Mass at the Grotto on Friday evening.

During the sign of peace, as one of the concelebrants was making his way over to shake hands with those of us toward the front row, an older man wandered past the priest toward the candles.

The priest looked up, startled, as the man stage-whispered to him, "I'm Gerry Faust." Faust proceeded to go light a couple dozen candles and then puttered around under the Grotto for about six or seven minutes. Then he wandered off through the crowd to who knows where.


A genuinely good man
by Sjdomer  (2019-06-09 19:16:44)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

who, unfortunately, was in over his head. Like everyone else at the time, the optimism on campus was sky high when Gerry arrived. The Spring before his first season, he visited all of the dorms on campus for a Q/A session. He was an engaging, energetic man who truly loved all things ND. We believed all the hype and that his success at Moeller would carry over to ND. A 180 turn from Devine, who did not engage with the students (at least during my 2 years with him as coach). Sadly, his time at ND didn't live up to what we (or he) wanted. Although I was as upset as everyone at the results on the field during his tenure, it was heartbreaking seeing him leave ND a broken man. I wrote him a long letter after the Miami debacle in his last game and, to his credit, he wrote me an equally long letter about his time at ND, his disappointments, etc., several months later. I still have that special letter.


The guy is 84 and by all accounts unWeisian. I’d cut him
by Tonybullets  (2019-06-07 12:58:25)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

some slack.


better that
by mike-nd  (2019-06-07 10:13:16)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

than during the homily I guess


Can anyone find the Chicago Sun Times article from Dec '83?
by domer4  (2019-06-06 08:43:02)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Every time I read one of these long threads on Faust, I wish I could re-read that article but I can never find it.

It's the article after year 3 where basically all the team leaders say "Please, would someone fire this guy?"

In the "pre-internet" time, it was considered/remembered as rather harsh in its frankness.


We were 26-20 combined in Faust and Davie's final two
by Carlos Huerta  (2019-06-07 15:24:28)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

seasons. John Saunders didn't seek out any of the players from those teams to ask them if they regret having to play for coaches that had already proven themselves unworthy of the job. Did they enjoy playing spending October and November playing out the string in games that had no juice.


Both of them should have been gone after three seasons.
by omaharic  (2019-06-07 22:32:54)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

There was no way that either of them was going to improve in a meaningful
way after their third year at ND.


The infuriating thing is that it was painfully obvious in
by Carlos Huerta  (2019-06-08 13:34:37)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

both cases. The administration failed those players and Molloy is an absolute disgrace for his comments about being embarrassed that we didn't repeat his mistake.


I believe that was the "do we have a bomb play?" article *
by rick  (2019-06-06 08:52:42)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Be sure to alert us to your next colonscopy
by MukIrish  (2019-06-05 20:54:41)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

or hemorrhoid.


I have one scheduled in about 2 weeks and I expect that
by sendavolley  (2019-06-06 13:35:11)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

as I prepare the day before I will see a lot of Bob Davie coming out my butt.


Well, if a former ND coach unexpectedly interrupts it... *
by milhouse  (2019-06-05 21:59:20)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


A Faust documentary is in the planning stages
by LADomer  (2019-06-05 17:48:55)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I don't know where it stands in terms of funding, production, etc...but it is the baby of ND alum Greg Kohs who is a real Pro.


He was the speaker at our class dinner *
by Dillon301  (2019-06-05 13:41:35)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Ours too, in 2011 — he was our Senior Fellow (‘86) *
by ShermanOaksND  (2019-06-07 21:26:52)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


I'm too young to remember Faust's time at ND
by irisharab  (2019-06-05 14:29:19)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Given that his five years at ND were by no means a success, why the heck is he still welcomed and embraced by the University? I've seen photos of him taking part in a panel discussion with Ara and Lou a few years ago. What gives?


Faust worked his way back in after he left Akron.
by rick  (2019-06-05 16:36:11)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I'd say he's tolerated more than "embraced." But, maybe it's like the "Ball Four" quote-the older he gets, the better he was when he was younger.


He wasn't a classless jerk like Lou's successors
by ndtnguy  (2019-06-05 14:40:43)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

This has come up here before, but the general story, so to speak, is that Faust was not an assassin, or an embittered jackass. He was in over his head and he failed, but he had a genuine affection for the University and maintained goodwill towards it and the program after his departure. People came to view him as an affably tragic figure, incapable of achieving football greatness but not deserving of active scorn once he had been ousted.

Now, is that accurate? People will point out that he refused to resign and forced the University to fire him. That militates against his good-guy persona. But he does not seem to have made a name for himself attacking and criticizing the University in the years since his departure (or at least, that's not what people remember). Maybe it was just the time. Or maybe Bob Davie just ruined the process of getting fired as ND's head coach such that everyone after that had to be run out of town on a rail as an embittered, angry, foaming wreck.


Not exactly true that he refused to resign
by tf86  (2019-06-13 18:10:13)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

He did resign following the Penn State loss in '85, IIRC, effective at season's end.


when he was asked to resign after year 3
by 84david  (2019-06-05 17:42:10)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

he was cryin like a pussy.

Yeah!


similar to Weis in a sense
by jt  (2019-06-05 16:33:40)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

both guys should have resigned (in Weis' case, negotiate a buyout) at least a year before they were removed. Both came from outside of college football and both struggled to adjust.

Weis is a bigger jerkoff and a better overall x and o coach, but he's also a big fat lazy slob.


Faust was a good man who lived his faith
by HolyCrossHog  (2019-06-05 16:15:36)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I taught at Mishawaka Marian High School during his tenure and every year he'd show up at our fall fundraising festival with 5-6 players to hang out and greet people. He helped us raise a lot of money and was very gracious with his time. He believed in a Catholic education. It was sad that he didn't succeed because, unlike most of our later coaches, he was a good representative of the university.


I was a student at Marian then
by ndtuba  (2019-06-05 20:40:39)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

And I remember him showing up with some players in tow at those fundraisers in mid August. Nice guy, just wasn’t qualified for the job. I don’t blame him for taking the job, but Joyce and Hesburgh should’ve never offered it to him in the first place.


Totally agree
by Camarillo Brillo  (2019-06-06 14:48:46)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

What in God’s name were Joyce and Hesburgh thinking?


They got arrogant
by tf86  (2019-06-13 18:13:12)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

They had two homerun hires in a row (to an extent, at least) with Ara and Devine and thought they could do no wrong.


More importantly, he has a sincere love for ND based in
by jrdjr84  (2019-06-05 15:01:49)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

love for Our Lady. He makes the rounds these days as a speaker at Catholic men's conferences. For Faust, faith come first. That served him well as a high school coach. That and the rest of his coaching repertoire did not translate to the ND sideline. Too bad.


Hence my handle
by sayahailmary  (2019-06-05 18:35:29)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I was a student manager for the first two years of his tenure. A few notable highs--the win in his first game at LSU, the first night game win v Michigan, but more than our share of lows--the shellacking by Michigan in his second game, Miami wipeouts, losing to Air Force in back to back years.
He wore his faith, and his devotion to the Blessed Mother, on his sleeve. His tendency to tell his players on the sideline to "Say a Hail Mary" that a play would be successful carried over to Notre Dame. Good man, over his head as a DI football coach. He did introduce Larry Williams to his wife, Laura, during summer camp 1981, so he did have some chops as a matchmaker, however.


You are correct in your assessment of Gerry. I sat and
by Irish72  (2019-06-05 14:59:41)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

talked with him on the porch at Warren the year ND hosted the BigEast golf tournament (2000?). Could not meet a nicer man, but as you say, he was not ready to coach upper level D1 football.


I didn't think he was "fired". i thought he finished his
by Rosecrea  (2019-06-05 14:56:52)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

initial five year contract, it wasn't renewed and the parties went their separate ways.


Per Catholics vs Convicts 30 for 30 Episode...
by subalumt  (2019-06-05 15:24:36)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

.... he resigned right before the, ugh, Miami shlacking.


Semantics
by ShermanOaksND  (2019-06-07 21:34:00)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

This was my senior year. Faust did use the word “resign,” but nobody doubted for a nanosecond that he’d be gone after the finale at Miami. In fact, there were “Gerry Faust Farewell Tour” t-shirts at the outset of the season, concluding with “January 1 — Idle.”


That is correct
by Vairish84  (2019-06-05 15:24:06)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

In those days though, you got a 5 year contract and then went year to year. He did actually resign then, several games before the end of the year. He spared the University the trouble of not 'renewing' him.

There were also rumors that after his first 5-6 year, he tried to resign but Moose wouldn't accept it.

The tragic figure comment mentioned above is how I view him, and much like Dillon 301, he spoke at my Class Dinner that Friday as well. He supposedly was speaking at two that night.


Gracias *
by Rosecrea  (2019-06-07 16:22:16)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


That might well be correct. *
by ndtnguy  (2019-06-05 15:10:37)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Guy had CYO written all over him*
by RJD  (2019-06-05 13:21:35)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


he was daily visitor while coach and attended early morning
by discNDav  (2019-06-05 07:54:28)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

mass in the Sacred Heart basement church.


...the "Crypt"..... *
by harv79pangborn  (2019-06-07 10:51:37)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


He interrupted my life for five years. *
by CJC  (2019-06-04 21:46:24)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Mine too. We should form a Support Group
by DAngelotti  (2019-06-05 08:39:40)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I was at ND for the first four years of Gerry’s tenure. I always felt that balanced my dad’s four years with Leahy (1946-50).


I'm in - I also was 0-4 vs. Air Force in my undergrad years
by domer86  (2019-06-05 11:00:11)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

The legend that was the Class of 1986.....

Don't forget losing to Arkansas Little-Rock as a #3 seed in the first round senior year.....

Thank you Gerry and Digger


At least you had a great graduation speaker...oh wait
by 2020  (2019-06-07 00:11:37)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

That was a different class.


We had Bishop James Malone from Youngstown, Ohio
by ShermanOaksND  (2019-06-07 21:35:45)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

For our 1986 commencement. Worst speaker ever.


Yep
by tf86  (2019-06-13 18:16:45)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I enjoyed graduation immensely, other than that. I think I fell asleep during his speech.


At least you got to replace the 10-17 with 23-6
by domer4  (2019-06-05 14:10:50)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

The class of 1985 was not so lucky.

Obviously, some very bad luck moved to ND in the spring of 1981 and it has never recovered.


Class of 2001 checking in.
by OITLinebacker  (2019-06-05 15:29:59)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Never had a NC winning coach in Football since we stepped foot on campus in 1997. I think the class of 2000 (or was in 1999) managed to get out without winning a NC in a single sport not even fencing? If it weren't for Muffet, Ruth, and company pulling out the NC in WBB I think 2001 would've joined them in that infamy.

I thought for sure when I got to campus in 1997 that I would see ND win a football NC while I was on campus. 22 years later and despite working on campus since graduation, still no joy.

On a similar note, I saw the last game in ND stadium that featured a #1 ranked ND team (BC 1993, ouch) and I never did dream then that it was the last time....


Since you brought it up (sorta)
by tf86  (2019-06-13 21:51:58)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

As a member of the Class of '86, if you had told me when I graduated that ND would win a national championship in women's basketball before they would win one in men's basketball, I would have told you that you were crazy. In fact, we played USC in women's basketball my junior year, IIRC. Consensus was that one player on the ND team (Trina Keys) could have made the USC squad, but that she would have been buried on the bench.

The lack of a basketball national championship, or even a Final Four appearance since 1978, bothers me as much as football.


Only NC for the class of 1986 was fencing
by ShermanOaksND  (2019-06-07 21:41:14)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

And the fencing coach (Mike DeCicco) was the only NC-winning coach on campus, unless you count Lou Holtz for spring practice in 1986.

I suppose the class of 1985 had it worse. They didn’t even get Holtz to give them hope as they prepared for commencement.

The class of 1963 (the year I was born) also has “bragging” rights. Four years of Joe Kuharich; zero winning seasons. Basketball was mediocre too. The class of 1964 had it worse in terms of W-L record, but at least Ara came to campus just before Christmas.


My brother's roommate wore his fencing title ring with pride
by btd  (2019-06-10 13:51:49)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

for exactly the reasons you list. They were class of 1986 (my brother posthumously - killed in a car accident 1984). Too bad fencing wasn't / isn't a spectator sport. They probably could have filled the hockey stadium at times during those down periods where it was the only elite sport we had.


Seriously, 01 wins this pity party every time. *
by DBCooper  (2019-06-05 22:04:26)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Class of 1986 closed out four years of pathetic football
by domer86  (2019-06-09 08:55:15)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

losing 58-7 in the Orange Bowl to Jimmy Johnson. Our BEST season in four years was 7-5.

Class of 2001 lost in the Fiesta Bowl in their last game.

We claim the worst of a generation.


How special that we can debate which class sucked most
by btd  (2019-06-10 14:03:27)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

since Holtz left - and that people can offer strong arguments for more than one four year period.