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An Interview With Former Notre Dame Football Coach Gerry Faust Touching On Faith, Football & The Church
Dave Hartline Coach, I expected to find you in
Coach Faust Dave, I am just trying to give a little back. The Lord has blessed me so much; I am just trying to help out. If some man, woman or child can be helped by me sharing any of my life experiences, I have a hard time saying no.
Dave Hartline Ok coach, let’s start at the beginning. How did you go about incorporating faith and optimism into your coaching career?
Coach Faust I watched my dad and I was in awe of how he taught those young men at Dayton Chaminade. It was like a family thing with my father and mother taking care of those boys, teaching them the lessons of faith and football. I knew that was what I wanted to do.
Dave Hartline Coach growing up in
Coach Faust No, it wasn’t hard at all. It was a great time in my life. The whole atmosphere was just great, the young men, the faculty and staff. I remember telling Father, as I left Moeller, that going to Notre Dame was the only reason I would ever leave.
Dave Hartline Was your faith life tested when things didn’t go the way you wanted them to at Notre Dame?
Coach Faust No, I just accepted it as God’s will. I felt I had let the kids down and for a while I tried to figure the whole thing out. Perhaps Our Lord Jesus or the Blessed Mother wanted me to speak to others about life experiences like I do now. I don’t know, but I do know that I have been richly blessed and I love that university. I go to
Dave Hartline Coach, you talked about letting the kids down what do you mean? I coached at the high school level and I can’t imagine what it must be like at the college level. It seems to me there would be a variety of non-football related duties required.
Coach Faust The organizational stuff wasn’t the problem. However, there are so many requests for your time when you are the Notre Dame Coach. My problem was I should have been a little tougher with the kids. I thought, well, they’re in college they will be more disciplined than in high school and I wasn’t concentrating on discipline as much as I should have. I had a great coaching staff but something was missing with the chemistry at Notre Dame, and chemistry in coaching is very important. I keep in touch with the former players and coaches. They are all good people and many have done great things.
Dave Hartline You are so optimistic, did you ever get down during your last year, 1985? What about after Jimmy Johnson’s Miami Hurricanes ran up the score? I think some coaches would have gone ballistic.
Coach Faust Dave, I never judge a person the Lord does that. I do remember that as I was about to go on to the field after the Miami loss and a priest came up to me and said don’t shake hands with that guy. I shook Jimmy Johnson’s hand and left it at that.
Dave Hartline Do you still follow high school and college football?
Coach Faust Oh yes, I still go to games at both the high school and college level. I like to evaluate talent. I am going to
Dave Hartline What do you think of Notre Dame’s new coach Charlie Weis and the way the team is performing? What about the USC game?
Coach Faust They are great and Charlie Weis is a class act on and off the field. I can’t wait for this Saturday. I really think the Irish have a chance. There are things that occur in a big football game that are hard to explain, a tipped pass or a wrong bounce can make all the difference. A good team can take advantage of those situations. USC is so talented but don’t count out the Irish.
Dave Hartline Coach, in the beginning of this interview you talked about giving something back. I know a lot of former coaches and players that wouldn’t be doing what you are doing. Those former players and coaches would be in the warm weather and the thought of talking to Church groups would be the last thing on their minds.
Coach Faust My faith and family are the two most important things to me. I love football but faith and family come first. I am able to spend more time with my family now than I did when I was coaching and I owe that to them. God has blessed me so much. I make a little money doing motivational speaking. However, I feel like I have got to give something back by speaking to Church groups, especially Catholic men’s conferences. I speak about 150 times a year. I feel I get more out of those conferences than those in attendance. They always have such great speakers. I learn so much from the speakers and those who came to hear us. I look at all the troubles in the world and it seems, in my life, so many dreams became a possibility. My dreams may not have turned out like I wanted them to, but I have been so blessed. I just want to help others understand that they can have the same blessings if only they knew what to do. You know as Catholics we have so many special gifts. Unfortunately, not everyone takes advantage of all these blessings, like the presence of Our Lord in the daily Mass, the renewal that comes with confession, the intercession of the Blessed Mother and prayers like the rosary. I just want to pay back by telling others about all of these great gifts of our faith.
Dave Hartline You gave everyone a lot to think about and you have been so gracious as well. Thank you for your time. Coach Faust Thank you and may God Bless your work Note: This interview was conducted in September of 2005. Coach Faust was and is a huge supporter of the book The Tide Is Turning Toward Catholicism which was released in December of 2006. In addition to reading the manuscript and endorsing the book, he continues to tell others about it now that it has been released.
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 You can buy "The Catholic Tide Continues to Turn" from the link above or directly call the publisher (Aquinas and More) toll free at 1-866-428-2820. Contact Dave Hartline for any inquiries, questions or to speak to your group by clicking the "speaking links" on the left side of the page directly opposite and above this entry. Upcoming Appearances by Dave Hartline 4/12/2009 Saint Gabriel Catholic Radio. My Interview With Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life March 7, 2009 Saint Gabriel Catholic Radio, I Will Be Hosting The Post Game Show Following The Columbus Catholic Men's Conference February 27, 2009 Brian Patrick's Sonrise Morning Show, Sacred Heart Radio EWTN 1/9/2009 Brian Patrick Sonrise Morning Show Sacred Heart/EWTN Radio 9/17/2008 Paul Clemens Show WLCR AM 1040 Louisville July 7, 2008 Catholic Answers Live With Jerry Usher June 26, 2008 Brian Patrick Show On Sacred Heart Catholic Radio, Cincinnati March 4, 2008 St. Peter-Chillicothe, Ohio February 11, 2008 St Mary's-Marion, Ohio 12/15-16/07 Signing Books After Mass-St Michael Parish-Worthington, Ohio 12/8-9/07 Signing Books After Mass-St Joan Of Arc Parish-Powell, Ohio 11/13/07 Relevant Radio The Drew Mariani Show 11/5/07 Relevant Radio The Drew Mariani Show 10/26-28/07 Marian Center Conference XVI Boyne Mountain, MI 9/14/07 Michigan Catholic Radio 9/27/07 Theology & A Pub Columbus, OH (Columbus Maennerchor) 966 S High Street 9/11/07 Michigan Catholic Radio 8/03/07 Relevant Radio's Searching The Word Program 12-1 CST 8/15/07 In His Service Catholic Radio, Philadelphia 7/30/07 Radio Maria & Affiliates (Louisiana) 7/26/07 Catholic Marketing Network (Cleveland) 5/24/07 St Gerald Church Farmington, MI (Speaking & Signing Books) Event Begins At The Conclusion Of The 7PM Mass 6/06/07 Paul Clemens Show WLCR AM 1040 Louisville 5PM 5/23/07 Al Kresta Radio Show Ave Maria Radio 5PM EST 5/22/07 St Jane Frances DeChantel Church Sterling Heights, MI (Speaking & Signing Books) Event Begins At 7PM 5/15/07 Teresa Tomeo Show Ave Maria Radio 8AM 4/28-4/29 St Mary Parish-Marion, Ohio (Briefly Speaking After Masses & Signing Books) 3/25/07 Saint Peter Church-Chillicothe, OH (signing books) 3/23/07 Lino Rulli Show-Sirius Satellite Catholic Radio 3/03/07 Cincinnati Catholic Men's Gathering-Cincinnati, OH (signing books but not speaking) 3/02/07 Maronite Catholic Youth Gathering-New Castle-PA 2/21/07 Catholic Family Theater Productions-Hollywood, CA (Pasta & Prayer Series) 2/20/07 GodSpace Catholic Bookstore-Thousand Oaks, CA 2/07/07 Al Kresta Show-Ave Maria Radio 1/31/2007 EWTN Bookmark Program-Birmingham, AL (Taped At The Catholic Marketing Network) 1/18/2007 Catholic Marketing Network Gathering-Birmingham, AL 1/16/2007 Relevant Radio-The Drew Mariani Show 1/08/2007 KVSS Catholic Radio-Omaha, NE (Bruce & Kris McGregor) The Great Debate Catholics versus Fundamentalists |