Ex-Notre Dame coach won 2 titles
Ara Parseghian reached the pinnacle of his profession at Notre Dame and endured painful personal losses as a father and grandfather.
He walked away from coaching at age 51 after winning two national championships, but never really left Notre Dame. He built a legacy through philanthropy that he hoped would be far more meaningful than any of his victories.
Mr. Parseghian died Wednesday at his home in Granger, Ind., where he lived with Katie Parseghian, his wife of 68 years. He was 94.
“Among his many accomplishments, we will remember him above all as a teacher, leader and mentor who brought out the very best in his players, on and off the field,” Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins said in a statement. “He continued to demonstrate that leadership by raising millions of research dollars seeking a cure for the terrible disease that took the lives of three of his grandchildren.”
The Parseghians lost three grandchildren between the ages of 9 and 16 to Niemann-Pick disease from 1997 through 2005. Mr. Parseghian helped create the Ara Parseghian Medical Foundation, which has raised more than $45 million for research on the disease.
He already had been active in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society after his daughter, Karan, was diagnosed decades earlier. She died in 2014, at 61.
“As you move through life, it’s not going to be a bright sunshiny day every day. You’re going to have disappointments. But how you handle those disappointments is the important thing for you and everybody that’s around you. That’s what I found from being not only a player, but also a coach,” Mr. Parseghian said in 2012, when he was honored by the National College Football Awards Association.
After stints at Miami of Ohio and Northwestern, Mr. Parseghian took the job at Notre Dame in 1964. The Fighting Irish hadn’t had a winning season in five years and had gone 2-7 in 1963. He quickly restored the Golden Dome’s luster and led the Irish to national titles in 1966 and 1973. He retired after the 1974 season, saying he was worn out. He did not return to coaching.
On the field, a tie was probably his most famous game.
In a matchup dubbed the Game of the Century, No. 1 Notre Dame tied No. 2 Michigan State 10-10 in 1966 and proceeded to win the national title.
His .836 winning percentage puts him third on Notre Dame’s coaching list behind fellow College Football Hall of Famers Knute Rockne (.881) and Frank Leahy (.855). At Notre Dame, they are considered the “Holy Trinity” of coaches. Only Rockne (105, 1918-30) and Lou Holtz (100, 1986-96) won more games at Notre Dame than Mr. Parseghian.
Mr. Parseghian, who was born in Akron, Ohio, and served in the Navy, went 39-6-1 in five seasons at Miami of Ohio, his alma mater, then 36-35-1 in eight seasons at Northwestern, including 4-0 against Notre Dame. At Miami, Parseghian played under the innovative Sid Gillman. With the Cleveland Browns in 1948-49, he played for Paul Brown until an injury ended his playing career. Mr. Parseghian’s first coaching job was as an assistant to Woody Hayes at Miami.
After stepping down, Mr. Parseghian went into television and spent more than a decade calling games on ABC and CBS.
Later in life, Mr. Parseghian watched the Irish closely. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly called Parseghian a mentor and a friend. “I’ll forever cherish the handwritten letters of encouragement, wisdom and advice that he’s sent throughout my tenure at Notre Dame,” Kelly said in a statement. “I’ll always keep them close to me.”
Mr. Parseghian often tailgated before games outside Notre Dame Stadium, and then went home to watch the game on TV. He was worried that people at the stadium might misinterpret his reactions. And he wanted to watch the game without being interrupted.