RIP Gerry Faust

I covered the O’Leary introductory presser and still regret not asking Monk Malloy, “Is a one-hour interview long enough to know a guy?”

 

Faust was coaching Akron when the Zips played at Microville Tech in the late 1980s.

 

See "Game Change," the HBO movie.

 

Mike Price.

 

I was seven years old when Faust was named HC at Notre Dame and wasn't a big college football fan growing up many miles from South Bend, so I either forgot or more likely had no idea until I read his obit that he made the high school to Notre Dame leap. That's incredible. An even wilder example of a much simpler and more relaxed time than BYU winning the national title by going 12-0 w/a Holiday Bowl win a few days before Christmas.

 

Roll Tide.

 

IIRC, Price made it through spring practice, at least.
The stripper has always reminded me of Tiny Tim ... in the face.

 

In hopes of making a big first impression Price stacked the teams for the A-Day spring game, resulting in a final score of 47-0.

Weeks later in Pensacola he made a much more lasting impression.

 

Goff, Donnan, DuBose, Franchione, Price, Shula, Hallman, DiNardo, Terry Bowden . . .

truly the golden years of SEC football for me.

 

Best I can do is the clown car parade at Florida.

 

Jeremy Pruitt instead of Greg Schiano turned out a "push."

There could be a thread of bad hires, schools picking one guy instead another finalist who went on to greatness. The nice thing about the new portal rules is you won't likely see as many teams elevate an assistant "to keep the recruiting class together" after a coach leaves simply because the entire roster become free agents.