Ara R. Parseghian (Football Coach, 1956-63)
Parseghian's professional football career with the Cleveland Browns was ended by a hip injury. He returned to Miami as assistant coach under Woody Hayes in 1950 and was named head coach when Hayes took over at Ohio State in 1951. Parseghian coached at Miami for five years and compiled an outstanding record of 39-6-1. In 1956 he was offered the head position at Northwestern.
Parseghian's drive and the enthusiasm with which he infused his team transformed Northwestern into a conference contender; in his first season he moved the Wildcats into the first division with a 4-4-1 record. His success at Northwestern culminated in the 1962 season, when the team ranked was ranked number-one in the nation for two weeks and was 7-2 for the year with wins over Illinois (45-0), Notre Dame (35-6) and Ohio State (18-14).
In 1963, Parseghian became Notre Dame's 22nd head coach. Noted for his precise offensive and defensive execution, Parseghian turned a 2-7 team in 1963 to a 9-1 squad the following year. He earned many awards during his tenure at Notre Dame and coached several All-Americans who went on to professional football careers. Notre Dame's 1974 record of 10-2 earned Parseghian a place in history as the coach with the second-highest number of wins, a 95-17-4 overall record.
Parseghian hosted "Ara's Sports World," a popular weekly television series in 1976-77 that encouraged all age groups to participate in sports. In 1976 he became the color commentator for ABC's football "Game of the Week," and joined Brent Musburger in 1982 for the CBS pre- and postgame and halftime shows. Special honors to Parseghian include his 1980 induction into the National Football Foundation's Hall of Fame and his 1984 induction into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame.
