Faust Is Only Trying to Keep His Mind on USC

Gerry Faust would rather talk about Notre Dame’s demanding schedule and Saturday’s traditional game with USC at South Bend, Ind.

But the beleaguered Irish coach is waking up echoes that he doesn’t want to hear. In almost every interview he is asked whether he’ll be retained as Notre Dame’s coach next year.

His five-year contract expires at the end of the season and, with an overall record of 27-23-1, he is one defeat away from becoming the losingest coach in the school’s history.

With a veteran nucleus returning this season, expectations were high for a winning record and an appearance in a bowl game. But Notre Dame has a 2-3 record now and there are some formidable opponents ahead for Faust--USC, Penn State, LSU and Miami.

Asked directly Monday in a phone interview whether he expects to return next season, Faust said: “That’s a tough question. It’s a wait-and-see thing until the end of the year. If we do well, I expect to be back. If we don’t, I don’t expect to be back. It’s as simple as that.”

It has been speculated that Faust, ever the optimist, will never resign, and that the administration, if so inclined, will have to fire him, or euphemistically announce that his contract will not be renewed.

Asked if he would consider resigning if Notre Dame falters the rest of the season, Faust avoided the question.

“I’m not concerned about that stuff,” he said. “I’m getting our team ready for Southern Cal. Maybe they (administration) don’t want me. . . . I don’t know about those things. I haven’t talked to anyone about it, but they’ve been great to me.

“I’m so tired of those questions. I’m really not interested in them. They are so sidetracking.”

Neither the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, who is chairman of the faculty board in control of athletics, nor Athletic Director Gene Corrigan will discuss Faust’s future. The standard answer is that everything will be evaluated at the end of the season.

Faust has heard the rumors that he was history since his first season in 1981, when the Irish finished with a 5-6 record. He was 6-4-1 in 1982 and 7-5 in each of the last two seasons.

He said that no one in the administration had told him that he has to win a certain number of games to retain his job.

The prevailing rumor, however, is that Faust is gone regardless of how Notre Dame fares the rest of the season.

If he is aware that his tenure is short-lived, it is certainly not his public posture. The former high school coach from Moeller in Cincinnati, always looks upon a glass as half full, rather than half empty.

He is an enthusiastic man, deeply religious, polite and accommodating.

As for this year’s team, he says the Irish are getting better. He says Notre Dame has played only one poor game, a 35-17 loss to Purdue. He said his team played well in losses to Air Force and Michigan, and in last Saturday’s 24-10 win over previously unbeaten Army. And he emphasizes the difficulty of Notre Dame’s schedule.

“We haven’t scored as many points as we would like but some of it has to do with the strong defensive teams we’ve played,” Faust said. “We are getting better, but so is Southern Cal. They’ve scored 93 points in two games against only six (Oregon State and Stanford). I don’t care who they’ve played, that’s good football.

“Two or three people have rated our schedule as the most difficult in the country. Anyone can beat anyone on Saturday. College football is crazy. You talk about parity. Well, that was proven when Oregon State beat Washington.”

Parity has, indeed, made a major comeback in college football. Iowa, Penn State and Air Force are the only unbeaten, untied teams in the top 20 of last week’s Associated Press poll.

But Notre Dame alumni aren’t likely to be mollified by parity. They remember Rockne, Leahy and Parseghian. Notre Dame is expected to win regularly.

Notre Dame, like USC, UCLA, Oklahoma, Ohio State, or any other major school, still recruits some of the most talented high school athletes in the country.

The Irish finished with a flair last season, beating three top 20 teams, USC among them, before losing to SMU in the Aloha Bowl.

This season was supposed to be an extension of 1984, with 14 starters returning. But Notre Dame has had a sporadic offense, even though Faust has experienced players at the skilled positions, quarterback Steve Beuerlein and tailback Allen Pinkett.

It hasn’t, though, been a big play team and has floundered in scoring position. Prior to the Army game, the Irish failed to score touchdowns in 14 drives inside the opponent’s 30-yard line.

Pinkett, the sturdy 5-9, 181-pound tailback, has been the most consistent element of the Irish offense. He holds every significant Notre Dame rushing record, including 3,556 total yards for his career.

He has gained 525 yards this season, which is approximately 75% of Notre Dame’s rushing total. It has been, for the most part, a predictable offense.

Beuerlein, the former star quarterback from Anaheim Servite, has been adequate. He has completed 49.6% of his passes for only two touchdowns while throwing five interceptions.

He had shoulder surgery last April and didn’t start throwing again until late July.

“Steve is getting better,” said Faust, using his favorite phrase. “He didn’t have a spring practice and didn’t throw that much during the summer. It’s like a baseball pitcher not getting enough warm-ups or work. But his arm is stronger now.”

So Faust retains his cheerful outlook. If there is trouble ahead for him, or his team, he is not acknowledging it.

Trojan Notes Gerry Faust is tied with Joe Kuharich (1959-62) for the worst coaching record in Notre Dame’s history. . . . Knute Rockne lost only 12 games from 1918 through 1930, and Frank Leahy lost only 11 games in his 11 years as Notre Dame’s coach. . . . The Irish have been hampered by injuries to defensive linemen. Nose tackle Mike Griffin broke his ankle before the season began and tackles Wally Kleine and Greg Dingens are sidelined for at least three weeks with knee injuries. “We had some decent depth there before, but now we’ve lost three of our four top linemen,” Faust said. . . . USC Coach Ted Tollner has yet to beat Notre Dame. His Trojans lost to the Irish in 1983, 27-6, and in 1984, 19-7. The Trojans gained more yards and had more first downs than the Irish last year, but lost 6 fumbles on the rain-drenched Coliseum turf that led to 12 of Notre Dame’s 19 points. . . . USC ranks fifth nationally in total defense, allowing an average of 254 yards a game. . . . USC is also seventh in scoring defense, an average of 12 points a game. . . . USC, 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the Pacific 10, has five straight league games after Saturday’s game with Notre Dame.

‘If we do well, I expect to be back. If we don’t, I don’t expect to be back. It’s as simple as that.’