Fasching earns hall of fame coaching honors

St. John’s football head coach Gary Fasching is set to enter the Minnesota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Fasching will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during the 58th Annual Football Hall of Fame Banquet on April 2.

Fasching was a starting linebacker for the Johnnies until he graduated in 1981. He then served as the head football coach at St. Cloud Cathedral High School from 1986 until 1995. Over the ten seasons, he recorded a 57-46 record, including state championships in 1992 and 1993. The 57 wins still stand as the most recorded by a head coach in school history. Fasching was inducted into the St. Cloud Cathedral High School Hall of Fame in early February.

“When I started coaching, I never envisioned or never even thought about making any Hall of Fames but now I’m in two of them. It’s hard to believe because it’s certainly not why I went into coaching but to go into the Hall with all the great coaches from the state of Minnesota over the years is truly a special honor for me,” Fasching said.

After the 2012 season, the legendary John Gagliardi announced his retirement after 60 seasons as the Johnnies’ head football coach and the most wins ever recorded by a single coach in college football history (489).

Fasching had big shoes to fill when he became the 16th head coach in Johnnie football history, and after nine seasons it is safe to say he is excelling.

Fasching has led the Johnnies to an 81-15 (.844) record including a 56-8 MIAC record. The Johnnies have finished as MIAC Champions four times and runner-up three times under his coaching. Fasching has earned the MIAC Coach of the Year five times and recently broke the MIAC record for consecutive NCAA Division lll playoff appearances with seven.

He has coached two Gagliardi Trophy Winners, 25 All-Americans, 50 All-Region athletes, three MIAC MVPs and 66 All-MIAC first team athletes.

The accolades and the honors are numerous, but Fasching credits many others who have helped him achieve success.

“You [have] got to have great players to win in this league, and I’ve been very fortunate over my years to have a lot of great players that have played here,” Fasching said. “I’ve said all along that our coaching staff is the best in the country, and I really believe that…it’s a combination of a lot of different people that are a part of this, and I am obviously indebted to all the players who I have coached and certainly all the coaches I get to coach with every day. That is a big part of why I got this honor.”

Fasching has not only won football games for St. John’s but has also built relationships and instilled some valuable life lessons with his players.

Senior linebacker Kyle Kornovich commented on what it is like to play for Fasching.

“Having the opportunity to play for Coach Fasching was an experience I will always remember from my time at St. John’s,” Kornovich said. “Every day he would come to practice with the expectation that every player, no matter how large or small their role, would strive to get better on an individual level and do their job at practice bringing value to the team.”

The honor means a lot to Fasching, but the honor also means a lot to his players, including senior defensive lineman Seth Morem.

“This honor means a lot to me knowing that my last football coach is deservedly being inducted into a very special group of coaches. In my high school career, I was coached under four different head coaches, so being able to develop under an extraordinary coaching staff and an exceptional head coach is a great honor,” Morem said.

“Gary has earned a lot of impressive accomplishments and awards during his coaching career, but this is one of the most impressive,” senior defensive lineman Michael Wozniak said. “His players recognize his exceptional leadership and coaching expertise every day, but I’m happy to see him get recognized by such a prestigious association.”

Senior quarterback Chris Backes said that Fasching is absolutely deserving of the honor.

“He is a great leader of men and the glue he provides the SJU football program is unmatched. He is a man who makes you want to perform at your best each day,” Backes said.