Gerry Faust

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

I recently saw Gerry at the barber shop. He was clearly elderly but his old gregarious self, talking with everyone in the place and calling all of us, even though most in the place were middle aged or older, "young man". Very charming guy, and I remember that he kept an office at the university for many years after he left as the FB coach. So, is he still affiliated with the university in a fund-raising or other capacity? Is he doing motivational speaking, unconnected to UA? One would hope that he would still be involved at least in a very part-time fund raising role.GO ZIPS!SeeTeeZip

[ksu sucks]

I recently saw Gerry at the barber shop. He was clearly elderly but his old gregarious self, talking with everyone in the place and calling all of us, even though most in the place were middle aged or older, "young man". Very charming guy, and I remember that he kept an office at the university for many years after he left as the FB coach. So, is he still affiliated with the university in a fund-raising or other capacity? Is he doing motivational speaking, unconnected to UA? One would hope that he would still be involved at least in a very part-time fund raising role.GO ZIPS!SeeTeeZip

I actually saw an article about him the other day. It deals more with his tenure with the Irish, but since you brought em up...http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition...,5076376.column

[GoZips88]

He might be a few years older but his handshake couldn't be any more firm. Shook hands with him at the Buffalo game and asked him if he was confident enough to predict a Zips win ... "I didn't come out there to see them lose!" was his response (with a smile). Ask him a stupid question and he doesn't skip a beat.I'm glad he's still around and takes an interest in UA sports. Super nice guy.

[skip-zip]

When it comes to Akron football topics...there is probably nobody I like talking about, and a more key figure in our rise to D-1A, than Coach Faust.Let me tell you a little bit more about what I know.....I know several ex-players that played for him, and still keep in touch with him.1) First, in case you don't know...he was on the field at the end of the Akron/Buffalo game to participate in the Rubber Bowl closing ceremonies. 2) He still occassionally comes to Akron games...just look for him...he's always happy to shake hands and take pictures. 3) He still gives speeches.4) From what I know, he only did fundraising for the U of A for a few years after his coaching days as a "reassignment" so that he would still get paid the remainder of his contract. 5) He still lives in the area, and coached his grandson's pee wee football team. Can you imagine that?????? "Hey kids...our coach this year is an ex Notre Dame football coach". Well, maybe the kids wouldn't think much of it...but their parents certainly would. The one thing that should always be a part of us, as Akron football fans, is that this guy was the engineer in getting us where we are today. NO SCHOOL, prior to 1986, had EVER successfully made the move to D-1A from D-1AA....and had enough success to stay there. He promoted this program tirelessly, used his previous connections to get some assistants in here that would become the great teachers that he needed (including guys like Terry Bowden), and had an honest nature that persuaded many great players to come to Akron during the late 80s and early 90s....in our infancy as a D-1A program.I was still a student when he was hired...and believe me...it was one of the most exciting times to ever be a Zips football fan.

[GP1]

5) He still lives in the area, and coached his grandson's pee wee football team. Can you imagine that?????? "Hey kids...our coach this year is an ex Notre Dame football coach". Well, maybe the kids wouldn't think much of it...but their parents certainly would.

Coach Faust is a great guy. I almost feel bad typing this. When I read this, I could hear the motivational talk..... "We beat the Swenson's Lions....and the Swenson's Lions beat the Strickland's Giants.....and the Strickland's Giants beat the JCC Seahawks......and the JCC Seahawks beat the Downtown YMCA Eagles....and the Downtown YMCA Eagles beat the Ido Cafe Chargers....and the Ido Cafe Chargers beat the West Point Market Packers.....That means we can beat the West Point Market Packers."

[InTheZone]

In my encounters with Coach Faust in person I've always found him to be a very genuine and likable guy, but I find it somewhat surprising that Zips fans who know their history don't hold more of a grudge against him for the absolute mess he left of the program after his tenure, which honestly we still haven't recovered from.

[Z.I.P.]

5) He still lives in the area, and coached his grandson's pee wee football team. Can you imagine that?????? "Hey kids...our coach this year is an ex Notre Dame football coach". Well, maybe the kids wouldn't think much of it...but their parents certainly would.

Coach Faust is a great guy. I almost feel bad typing this. When I read this, I could hear the motivational talk..... "We beat the Swenson's Lions....and the Swenson's Lions beat the Strickland's Giants.....and the Strickland's Giants beat the JCC Seahawks......and the JCC Seahawks beat the Downtown YMCA Eagles....and the Downtown YMCA Eagles beat the Ido Cafe Chargers....and the Ido Cafe Chargers beat the West Point Market Packers.....That means we can beat the West Point Market Packers."

Holy cow! I didn't know Ido Cafe was that good! Must be all those 80-something Firestone retirees who are so super tough. Tip o' the cap to my Dad for buying me my first Rolling Rock there.

[ZipAlumn]

In my encounters with Coach Faust in person I've always found him to be a very genuine and likable guy, but I find it somewhat surprising that Zips fans who know their history don't hold more of a grudge against him for the absolute mess he left of the program after his tenure, which honestly we still haven't recovered from.

Everything that I have ever heard about Gerry Faust says that he is a generous, caring, likable, honest guy. However I have seen him around campus several times and I go out of my way to avoid him. After several years of Zips Season Tickets, I bought a single ticket to the first Zip game under Faust ... a Division 27 team that he completely destroyed. I knew everything I needed to know on the Zips first TD pass to the end zone. Only two receivers went out and they ran into each other in the corner of the end zone ... that was a Pee Wee league play. Faust should have been in the Marketing Department not coaching. :gun: :wall: :gun:

[GP1]

In my encounters with Coach Faust in person I've always found him to be a very genuine and likable guy, but I find it somewhat surprising that Zips fans who know their history don't hold more of a grudge against him for the absolute mess he left of the program after his tenure, which honestly we still haven't recovered from.

I've often thought the same thing in terms of the mess he left the program in. I think we have recovered, but it was a disaster at the end.Here is why I think people forgive Faust. Everything Faust did at the end of his time at Akron was done out of a certain sense of decency. He was and was becoming more of a deeply religious man at the end of his time here. Recent history shows that religion and successful college programs do not mix well. It sort of reminds me of a story a professor of mine told me. When he was in graduate school at Harvard Divinity, he took a class taught by future Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (the only Sec. of State to have two Presidents serve under him). One day he asked him about an ethical question in international politics and Kissinger responded, "What do ethics have to do with international politics?" In the end, the players he brought here were awful, but he always gave someone a chance or a second chance or a third chance too many. Even if a kid stunk, he was looking for something he could bring out in him to make him better. People can forgive a guy like that.Both Faust and JD were stung by bad character guys. Faust didn't know how to recover from that because he had never in his life been faced with a lot of bad character guys. I'm sure Notre Dame didn't lend itself to bad character guys. JD is just now recovering from his early recruiting mistakes. I'm sure he saw his share of bad character guys at Pitt. If Akron had the same academic support system that BCS schools have for their at risk student athletes, I think a lot of the discussions on this board would be different about JD's future.

[Hilltopper]

5) He still lives in the area, and coached his grandson's pee wee football team. Can you imagine that?????? "Hey kids...our coach this year is an ex Notre Dame football coach". Well, maybe the kids wouldn't think much of it...but their parents certainly would.

Coach Faust is a great guy. I almost feel bad typing this. When I read this, I could hear the motivational talk..... "We beat the Swenson's Lions....and the Swenson's Lions beat the Strickland's Giants.....and the Strickland's Giants beat the JCC Seahawks......and the JCC Seahawks beat the Downtown YMCA Eagles....and the Downtown YMCA Eagles beat the Ido Cafe Chargers....and the Ido Cafe Chargers beat the West Point Market Packers.....That means we can beat the West Point Market Packers."

Holy cow! I didn't know Ido Cafe was that good! Must be all those 80-something Firestone retirees who are so super tough. Tip o' the cap to my Dad for buying me my first Rolling Rock there.

ZIP, Yes the Ido still rocks! My wife and I just had dinner there last week. I grew up one street south of Ido Ave(Brookside) and have many fond memorys of the place. If your ever in Akron let me know and I'll buy you another Rolling Rock. http://www.idobar.com/index.shtml