Ara Parseghian
FameRank: 4

"Ara Raoul Parseghian" is a former American football player and coach who guided the University of Notre Dame to College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS/national championships in 1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team/1966 and 1973 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team/1973. He is noted for bringing Notre Dame's football program from years of futility back into a national contender in 1964 and is widely regarded alongside Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy as a part of the "Holy Trinity" of Notre Dame head coaches.

Parseghian grew up in Akron, Ohio and played football starting in his junior year of high school. He enrolled at the University of Akron, but soon quit to join the United States Navy/U.S. Navy for two years during World War II. After the war, he finished his college career at Miami University in Ohio, and went on to play halfback (American football)/halfback for the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference in 1948 and 1949. Cleveland won the league championship both of those years.

More Ara Parseghian on Wikipedia.

I would say so. In the modern era, running up win streaks is difficult. This is unusual because of the balance there is in college football. The population explosion has given, in my opinion, better facilities and coaching techniques has produced outstanding talent for a lot of teams.

291

Well, the very fact that no one's ever done it is testimony to how difficult it is. It's almost impossible to stay in that superiority position because of the very nature of the game.

227

Pardon me, aren't you Ara Parseghian?

211

How in the heavens do you know that?

200

Whether you like it or not, ... you're a national figure after five games at Notre Dame.

159

There are more good football teams today, I think, than there has ever been. I think it's much more significant today, and not to diminish past accomplishments, but the very fact that it's a different ballgame today, it's much more difficult to go undefeated and go on to win the national championship.

155

It was a big, pivotal football game for us. You kind of pointed for them, because of the circumstances.

142

Some of the old timers might be offended but they have to understand personnel now. You have 250-pound guys who can run the ball. The difference between skill positions is dramatic.

100