The Johnnies didn’t have to go far to find their next football coach. He happened to be just down the hallway from John Gagliardi, who retired in November after 60 years as the coach at St. John’s University.

Gary Fasching, a 17-year assistant and recruiting coordinator under Gagliardi, was named Friday, Dec. 28, to succeed Gagliardi, whose 489 wins is the most by a college football coach.

Fasching was chosen over two other finalists, Eden Prairie coach Mike Grant and former Carleton coach Kurt Ramler. All three played for Gagliardi.

Fasching, 54, is a 1981 St. John’s graduate. He becomes the 16th head coach in the 102-year history of Johnnies football and only the second since 1953, when Gagliardi took over a failing program and turned it into a small-college powerhouse that won four national titles.

The Johnnies have had a nice run since Fasching left St. Cloud Cathedral High School to join Gagliardi’s staff, going 164-39 with 10 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and 12 postseason appearances that include the 2003 national championship.

“It goes without saying that Gary Fasching’s football credentials speak for themselves,” St. John’s president Michael Hemesath said in a statement. “Coach Fasching’s experience with building a winning program at Cathedral High School (where he won Class B state titles in 1992 and 1993), as well as providing an excellent experience for our student-athletes in his role as an essential part of the St. John’s program are completely in keeping with the legacy of John Gagliardi. This consistency is probably no surprise as Gary was coached and mentored by John.

“In addition to his passion for winning, his thoughtful and articulate vision of how football is part of the overall mission of St. John’s University was impressive. Throughout the search process, Coach Fasching made it clear that he is an educator who understands deeply how football is part of the holistic education that we provide at St. John’s University, where academics, community living and extra-curricular activities are all integral to the exceptional undergraduate experience. The testimony from the many young men whose lives he has changed was powerful and moving.”

The Associated Press talked to Fasching after he learned the job was his.

AP: This has got to be exciting, but how tough is it to replace a legend?

GF: It’s not going to be easy. The job is going to be hard. I know that going in. We have a great staff. We have the support of the administration. There is no way of replacing John Gagliardi. There’s no way to do that. Our goal is to get us back to the top of the conference and get back into the national playoffs. Usually, when you’re replacing a coach, it’s because they got fired and the program was bad. That’s not the case here.

AP: John left you in decent shape, didn’t he?

GF: John left the cupboard in awfully good shape. I will continue to use him as a reference. I can bring a recruit by his office and say, “Here is the winningest coach in the history of college football.”

AP: John coached more than 60 years. You’re 54. If you coach 60 years, you’ll be 114. Can you go that long?

GF: (Laughs.) That’s probably not going to happen. We’ll never see that again.

AP: You were one of three finalists. All three of you played for John. Did you consider yourself the frontrunner for the job?

GF: I felt I belonged in that group. I don’t know if I considered myself the frontrunner. Obviously, Mike Grant is a tremendous football coach. What he’s done at Eden Prairie (High School) is the envy of everybody. I’m not sure he’s not the best coach at any level of football in Minnesota. I felt good and confident and was excited when I got the news.

AP: What changes will you make to the program?

GF: I don’t think there will be a lot of changes. I’m from the Gaglairdi coaching tree. There won’t be a whole lot of changes. The organization of practice might be a little more organized than the way John did it. As far as the whole philosophy, that will remain the same.

AP: Will you retain most of John’s staff?

GF: I will meet with all those guys and see how they fit in. Next week, we’ll start worrying about that. We have a great staff, a loyal staff. My guess is, we’ll find a place for them.

AP: Is it safe to say John supported your hiring?

GF: He’s been very supportive. No matter who got the job, John would be the same. St. John’s means.