In the lead up to the opening game of the 2024 season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish...
Ara Raoul Parseghian is the most written about coach in the history of Notre Dame football. Upon arrival at South Bend, conventional wisdom was that Parseghian was the first non-graduate and non-Catholic to be the head coach at Notre Dame. This was a time of Vatican II—a move away from hardline dogmatic adherence to rules and regulations and toward a broader Christian message—and with the socially progressive Theodore “Ted” Hesbaugh as President of the university, there was a place for the coach with the unusual last name who had dominated the Irish as the head coach of Northwestern in the Big 10 in the seasons leading up to his hiring.
The two most visible positions in the American Catholic Church were the Pope, followed by the head football coach at Notre Dame. At the time, college football was the gold standard for the sport, and Notre Dame had distinguished itself as its most prominent team, embraced by millions. Parseghian’s football credentials were rock solid. And with his thoughtfulness and character, his clarity and conviction, this child of an Armenian father and a French mother began this most storied phase of his impressive coaching career, one that would see him grace the cover of Time magazine, inspire millions of fans from coast to coast, and capture multiple national championships for the vaunted Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
This summer, the football world will celebrate the new biography of one of its brightest luminaries. “ARA: The Life and Legacy of a Notre Dame Legend: The Authorized Biography of Coach Ara Parseghian,” by Mark O. Hubbard, Foreword by Rocky Bleier (University of Notre Dame Press, August 1, 2024) is a tribute to Parseghian’s genius and dedication to his craft written through the lens of history. Taking charge in the months after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Parseghian became the hopeful new face of Notre Dame football, winning a share of the 1964 national championship in his very first season.
Yes, expectations were high from the start, but Parseghian had an agile mind and effortlessly held his teams in the palm of his hands with his integrity, work ethic and clear communication style. He had demonstrated an uncommon coaching savvy when he didn’t have strong personnel at Miami University (OH) and Northwestern, and then became a dominant force when he found himself in the seat of college football in South Bend. He was able to turn a light on for his players and the program’s return to glory was all but certain in his capable hands. In 116 games as Notre Dame’s head coach, Parseghian was 95-17-4 and secured three titles—in 1964, 1966 and 1973—the last two undisputed national championships. These were the games that mattered in the era. The games that shaped a generation. The games that shaped Parseghian’s lasting legacy. A career of purpose and a fulfillment. A career of historic achievements and accolades.
Ara Parseghian was special, and his story needed to be told.
