Notre Dame legend Parseghian dies at 94

Ara Parseghian, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame who coached Notre Dame and Northwestern, has died. He was 94.

Parseghian, who was born May 21, 1923, in Akron, Ohio, recently spent time in a nursing care facility because of a hip infection. He returned to his Indiana home last week to receive 24-hour care.

Parseghian led the Irish to two national championships (1966, 1973) in 11 seasons in South Bend, Indiana. Both of those teams were unbeaten. He had a 95-17-4 record at Notre Dame, where he also coached in what some called the “Game of the Century,” a 10-10 tie between his top-ranked Irish and No. 2 Michigan State in 1966.

“We didn’t go for a tie; the game ended in a tie,” Parseghian told the Chicago Tribune in 2016 when reminded he often was criticized for letting the clock wind down. “Christ, somebody ought to wake up to that.”

Before he arrived in South Bend, he spent eight seasons as Northwestern’s coach, posting a 36-35-1 record.

Parseghian’s players revered him for his ability to inspire them — and switch them to their most beneficial positions on the field.

When Parseghian retired in 1974, he was second in career victories at Notre Dame.

“A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are,” Parseghian once said.

He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980. He also is a member of the Miami University Hall of Fame and the Indiana Football Hall of Fame.

Both Notre Dame and Miami have statues of Parseghian outside their stadiums. He was 170-58-6 in 24 seasons as