Just when Notre Dame was about to celebrate in honor of their big 52-3 win against Florida State Seminoles, they got hit with a blow. They lost the successor to Dan Devine and Lou Holtz, their beloved HC, the great Gerry Faust. The legend passed away on November 11, Monday, at the age of 89.

And besides the Fighting Irish, it’s a mourning day in college football as well. After all, Faust has been known as the architect of Moeller High School. Not just the programs, but the fans were startled by the devastating news as they poured in their tributes.

Gerry Faust’s high impact on both high school and college sports

High school programs wouldn’t be what they are today if Faust hadn’t shown courage. The one who built the small school program on Montgomery Road into a national high school powerhouse left for his heavenly abode, leaving behind an irreparable loss. Faust happened to be Moeller High School’s first HC and achieved so many great things that it was a smooth transition from high school to the University of Notre Dame back in the fall of 1980. As NBC 5 analyst Charlie Clifford stated, Faust will be remembered as a “loving husband, father, grandfather and coach who dedicated his life to his family, his faith and the teams & players he coached.”

No doubt Faust has lived his life at its best. During his tutelage, Moeller achieved a 118-30-2 record. But getting a call from the Golden Dome has always been his dream. And he gave the best to his program, as in his five-year stint he gifted Notre Dame a 30-26-1 record. The sport would miss someone as humble as Faust, who once claimed in an interview, “People listen to me because I’m not all about success. They’ll listen to someone who failed because most people fail at something in life.” The tweets have started to pour in for his memory. 

Fans mourn the loss of Gerry Faust

As Father Theodore Hesburgh, Notre Dame’s 15th university president, rightly stated, “Gerry’s a great gentleman,” fans are already upset about the big loss. For instance, ex-Cincinnati Bearcats player and now analyst, Alex Meacham, has grown up listening about Faust since his father played with him back at high school, “Just heard about the passing of Gerry Faust. My father played high school football with him at Chaminade. #RIP.”

The HC was put in a sticky spot and from there gifted fans with the 1983 Liberty Bowl and appeared in the 1984 Aloha Bowl. That’s what high school sports analyst Bryan Davis tweeted: “RIP, Gerry Faust. Good man who was put in an impossible situation.” To another fan, the late HC was more successful in college than he was in high school, as they wrote, “RIP Gerry Faust, arguably the greatest high school coach ever but out of his depth at Notre Dame.”

Faust as a person had much to do other than being the football HC. As analyst Chuck Freeby stated how even after some disagreements the legend had been extremely respectful, “Saddened to learn of the death of former @NDFootball coach Gerry Faust. We often didn’t agree when I was writing a column at The Observer, but he was unfailingly cordial. His love for Our Lady and her university was genuine and immense. Eternal rest, grant him, O Lord…”

Gerry Faust has given his blood, sweat, and tears to the Notre Dame program, as rightly stated by another fan, God rest Coach Faust. Coach Holtz would frequently share, “No one loved Notre Dame more,” and truer words have never been spoken. He lived a dream coaching @NDFootball.  While he wished for different results he was forever grateful for the opportunity☘️🙏🏼.” Thus, it’s indeed a big loss that neither Notre Dame nor Moeller High School is going to get over anytime soon.