Memories of Former Moeller coach Gerry Faust go beyond football field
CINCINNATI — Jim Donnellon remembers that during two of the worst days of his family鈥檚 life, Gerry Faust was there 鈥� offering help and support, without being asked.
The first was in 1974 鈥� April 3, to be exact. Donnellon, one of 13 children, recalled the events clearly. His father, Jim鈥檚, store, Beacon Hill Carry-Out in Sharonville, was destroyed by a tornado in one of the worst severe weather outbreaks in Greater Cincinnati history.
鈥淐oach Faust rounded up 15 guys, 20 guys, and immediately got them out to my dad鈥檚 store and helped clean up and save as much as they could 鈥� and that’s the kind of coach Faust was,鈥� Donnellon, a 1975 Moeller graduate who played offensive line, said.
鈥淗e was about building people, helping people, being there for you. And like I said, my dad was just forever grateful for what he did, mobilizing and helping. My dad was almost in shell shock for what had happened and what he did to 鈥� get the place cleaned up and the stuff that they salvaged.鈥�
About 20 years later, the elder Donnellon passed away. The first call Jim received was from Akron, Ohio 鈥� coach Faust. 鈥淗is first thing he said, besides 鈥榊our dad was a great man,鈥� was 鈥業’ve already lit a candle for him.鈥欌�� Faust was a devout Catholic who attended Mass every day.
Faust, 89, died Nov. 11 in Akron 鈥� more than 40 years after leaving his home in Montgomery’s Village Green neighborhood for the University of Notre Dame, and more than 200 miles from the Kenwood campus he almost single-handedly put on the national map. The school鈥檚 first, and still winningest, football coach, Faust led Moeller to five state championships and four mythical national championships, with a record of 178-23-2.
The first two state championships were back-to-back, in 1975 and 1976. Tim Koegel was the quarterback for those Crusader teams.
鈥淗is impact on his players has been lasting and without question, his players have passed along his work ethic and deep religious belief to their kids and even grandkids,鈥� Koegel, a 1977 Moeller graduate who would go on to play at Notre Dame, said.
Pat White graduated from Moeller in 1976, and may have helped Faust save his job one season. He recalled one of Faust鈥檚 intense sideline tirades. A Moeller player had just fumbled the ball on the opponent’s two-yard line after a long drive.
鈥淔aust greeted the player with a gut punch for all to see. The player (dejected, trotting off the field, head bowed) took the blow and barely made it to the sidelines before stumbling to his knees. The guy didn鈥檛 want to vomit right there in front of the crowd. The really bad gut reaction passed – thank God. I know – because I was the guy,” White said.
Booster parents in attendance were outraged, but Faust apologized to White鈥檚 father. 鈥淚 just let it go – it鈥檚 part of the sport. It was part of Moeller. It was part of the coaching style and expectations put on us. We went on to win…鈥� White said.
When White got married in 1979, Faust attended the wedding. 鈥淎lthough I spent four years in the same building with coach Faust, knew him as a coaching icon since probably the sixth grade, rode the bus with him, sat through his typing class, was yelled at by him, prayed with him, traveled with him, ate with him 鈥� him coming to our wedding reception at the Montgomery Businessmen鈥檚 Club hall was a big deal to me. I have heard other guys say this – that he had a way of making you feel special, really paid attention to you – and on the occasion of our wedding he did just that.鈥�
For Faust, winning was a team effort 鈥� and that included everyone, Donnellon said 鈥� from starters to reserves to practice squad players to the school janitor, telling him 鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to beat St. X unless we get 100 percent out of you.鈥�
鈥淯nder coach Faust players laughed, cried, prayed and played together with as one. Every player, manager, coach, trainer truly played a special role on his teams. No one was above anyone else,鈥� Koegel said. 鈥淐oach Faust’s teams played as a team and celebrated each other’s successes and picked each other up when they were down. Nothing was about the individual. Everything was about the team.
鈥淧arents would provide all of their time and talent to whatever project coach Faust was trying to accomplish because they believed in his approach to football and the impact he was having on their sons’ lives, Catholic faith and development into Men of Moeller,鈥� Koegel said.
Preparation was meticulous. The Crusaders even practiced their pre-game warmup rituals 鈥� and religion was front and center at all times.
Team members attended Mass every Friday, and before the first Greater Cincinnati League game each season, went to Mount St. Mary鈥檚 Seminary to worship and share a meal with seminarians.
鈥淚 was a questioning teenager (weren鈥檛 we all) and he said his Hail Marys so fast that I questioned how deep his prayer really was,鈥� White said. 鈥淗e started typing class with a prayer – the sign of the cross and then rattled off a Hail Mary faster than a speeding bullet.
鈥淲hen the whole team was on the bus he made the sign of the cross and started a Hail Mary – and we finished it in proper form. The skeptic teenager in me still wondered if this guy was for real: was this just superstitious ritual to win games?
鈥淒uring tense moments during games coach Faust would pace back and forth along the sidelines – sometimes scurry down the line – shout to us to get down and 鈥榮ay a Hail Mary;鈥� many, if not most, did drop to their knees and prayed for Mary鈥檚 intercession. Stupid? Superstitious? Nuts?鈥�
Donnellon, who lives near Moeller鈥檚 campus on Kennedy Lane in Sycamore Township, said he and his teammates talk about how fortunate they were that their lives intersected with Faust鈥檚.
鈥淲e just happened to be born in the right place at the right time,鈥� he said. Donnellon and Koegel both attended St. Saviour School in Rossmoyne, which was one of the main feeder schools for Moeller. 鈥淟o and behold, it’s probably one of the greatest high school football coaches ever, to coach, and to be part of that … He really made the great players,” Donnellon said.
White is one of four boys 鈥� three went to Moeller and one to St. Xavier, from where his father also graduated. 鈥淭hus, I come from a mixed family,鈥� he said, and assumed he would wind up at the rival school on North Bend Road.
鈥淥ne evening after dinner my dad pulls me into the living room and sits me down on the couch. He tells me Gerry Faust saw him at the barber shop. Faust told my dad he thought I was a good little football player. Dad related this to me and said, 鈥業 think you鈥檙e going to Moeller,鈥欌�� White said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how it was in those days. Old-school dad. Old-school coach Faust.鈥�
鈥淚t’s hard to think of coach Faust without reflecting on the range of emotions he must have felt over the years. Incredible highs and incredible lows. But throughout it all, he remained the same great person, rooted in his faith and in his family,鈥� Koegel said.
Faust set another example for White in his final days. This summer, in an interview for Moeller鈥檚 website, Faust was asked how he wanted to be remembered. His answer 鈥� 鈥淚 just want more than anything to go to heaven.鈥�
鈥淐oach is a model to me at 67; I too want to go to heaven and be with God, be with Mary, be with coach, be with my beloved Mom and Dad and them,鈥� White said.
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