HOF Notre Dame football coach Ara Parseghian dies at 94

August 2, 2017 / Football
From the University of Notre Dame

Legendary coach Ara Parseghian, who guided Notre Dame’s 1966 and 1973 national championship football teams and is a member of the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame, died Wednesday. He was 94.

Photo: University of Notre Dame

“Notre Dame mourns the loss of a legendary football coach, a beloved member of the Notre Dame family and good man – Ara Parseghian,” university President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. said. “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.

“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. Whenever we asked for Ara’s help at Notre Dame, he was there.

“My prayers are with Katie, his family and many friends as we mourn his passing and celebrate a life that was so well lived.”

Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980, Parseghian led the Irish to a 95-17-4 record (.836) over his 11 seasons in South Bend, highlighted by the 1966 and 1973 teams that finished 9-0-1 and 11-0-0, respectively, and claimed Notre Dame’s eighth and ninth consensus national championships.

“As a student, I enjoyed the thrill of being on campus for Ara’s last three years as head coach, including the 1973 championship, and saw firsthand the profound impact that he had on my classmates who played for him,” said Jack Swarbrick, vice president and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics. “When I returned many years later as athletics director, Ara was unfailingly generous with his time, and his counsel proved to be invaluable.”

Parseghian retired from coaching after the 1974 season and entered broadcasting. He worked as a color commentator with ABC Sports from 1975-81 and served as college football analyst for CBS Sports through the 1988 season.

Click here to read more.


Leave a Reply