born american football player coach guided national championships noted bringing notre dame football program years national contender widely regarded alongside notre dame head coaches grew ohio played football starting junior year high school enrolled soon quit join years world war war finished college career ohio went play cleveland won league championship years playing career cut short hip injury left took job assistant coach miami head coach left coach took job stayed position hired head coach illinois seasons amassed win loss tie record helped turn perennial loser consistent contender national polls success attracted interest posted winning record straight seasons joined coach quickly turned program coming close capturing national championship year proceeded win national titles seasons coach notre dame fighting irish period referred era losing season notre dame posted overall record giving wins coach school history quit coaching began broadcasting career calling college football games abc cbs dedicated medical causes later life daughter diagnosed multiple grandchildren died rare genetic disease inducted coach career coaching record early life high school youngest children born armenian father french mother ohio father michael come united_states turkey fleeing armenian genocide world war settling country large armenian population despite mother involved sports early age developed reputation toughest kid class hired eighth grade patrol school grounds night deter played basketball local play organized football junior year mother allow participate contact sports joined high school team coached initially parents permission college professional career graduating enrolled american involvement world war intensified attack pearl harbor quit school join navy transferred training naval station great lakes near chicago coaching service football team brown known high school coach ohio having led teams series state championships named team starting season sidelined ankle injury play games great lakes amassed win loss tie record ranked 17th nation poll later said despite playing watching brown strict coaching methods ease commanded players larger experience military service enrolled ohio played school football team coach brown paid close attention post war football pioneer helped deep passes formation came vogue named ohio little american selected 13th round draft selected rival team coached old great lakes coach left miami semester credit hours remaining signed played defensive starting started game season potent offensive featured quarterback won games straight championship suffered injury hip second game season ending playing career stayed rest season team went win championship carries yards yards scored touchdowns intercepted pass coaching career miami ohio injury end professional career source frustration soon got chance try coaching instead head coach miami contacted job coach freshman team recommended position athletic director assistant coach led record season chosen following year successor departed head coach teams miami consistently mid american conference posting record improving following year miami known conference champions went undefeated success included wins larger big conference schools raised profile nationally head coaching prospect late hired coach illinois big schools miami beaten compiled record seasons miami northwestern arrived northwestern football program transition quit head coach february leaving assistant guide team teammate northwestern finished worst record history time school athletic director resigned season pressure alumni replaced moves fire replace 20th head coach football team youngest coach big took job years old northwestern career began win games wins end season finished record northwestern proceeded lose games season member northwestern staff teammate miami called performance season best job coaching witnessed despite losses close margins kept team united focused set stage successful campaign northwestern finished record included victories conference rivals michigan ohio_state northwestern began season poll began win oklahoma ranked team country string victories propelled northwestern number spot poll led quarterback star team beat michigan won match october notre dame school northwestern played straight losses end season ended team run conference championship following seasons brought mix success challenges best year northwestern team finished northwestern small budget find versatile players overlooked bigger rival programs faith sophomore quarterback guide team aided big offensive line star receiver led passing attack helped northwestern poll middle season following wins ohio_state notre dame called close win ohio_state northwestern greatest victories following week notre dame game drew people remained largest crowd home game northwestern despite wins late season losses wisconsin cost team chance big championship northwestern developed reputation earth coach took job seriously cultivated informal players called coach given age players northwestern tackle said occasionally joined practices players organized games touch football like lowering intensity practices game day approached let players build psychologically learned remained northwestern seasons career coaching record ranks northwestern total wins ninth northwestern winning percentage teams beat notre dame straight times annual series renewed following decade long hiatus end tenure northwestern grew frustrated school limited financial resources football scholarships academic standards athletes stringent big schools clashed athletic director told contract renewed season despite coaching team wins national championship previous year took polls good northwestern said years later notre dame end northwestern career approached november called father vice president chairman athletics board notre dame catholic university near indiana asked interim head football coach going given job longer term basis said university searching new coach expressed interest job immediately warm idea explored offer coach old friend promoted head coach athletic director notre dame considering coaching job ultimately offered recalling father dislike catholics played role armenian accepted december given salary year today candidacy head coaching job notre dame unusual notre dame graduate head coach armenian presbyterian making non catholic coach converted clear hiring care religion simply wanted lead football team success case northwestern notre dame football program state arrived notre dame built proud history successful coaches late 1950s early 1960s disaster team finished lost confidence players notre dame administrators years coach surprise departure end season supervisor officials national_football_league position created friend nfl commissioner left program disarray long time notre dame employee played coached brought lead team interim basis notre dame managed finish year turnaround season quickly turned things establishing sense confidence team spirit lost practices carefully planned organized help coaching staff consisted assistants northwestern notre dame players listened players concerns program addressed updated team offense favoring passing bringing smaller quicker players rule change allowing unlimited starting helped strategy successful fast running receivers taken game rested replaced recognized talent quarterback wide receiver seasons previous coaches throw far accurately soft spoken trait staff helped change snow large receiver era thought sure hands good expectations muted season told coaches team record lucky sports_illustrated predicted record best team rank programs country pre season poll notre dame nonetheless opened season victory heavily favored wisconsin game threw yards team leading entire season notre dame players carried field win vaulted team ninth place polls string victories followed air_force ucla notre dame rose place national polls following win navy october team went undefeated game year won final minutes touchdown pass loss notre dame ranking national polls team won trophy championship awarded passed yards set school records stood won trophy snow led country won numerous coach year awards engineering turnaround including snow graduated season notre dame felt absence following year posting record team contend national title defensive led nation punt returns came sixth named team american national title guided notre dame national championship era led quarterback running star receiver offense best nation scoring average points game defense second country points allowed thanks strong performances linebacker defensive end season began straight victories notre dame national polls team faced ranked second polls undefeated contest number referred game century ended tie criticized winding clock instead trying score despite having ball final seconds game defended strategy maintaining key starters knocked action early game want courageous comeback deficit turnover deep territory late game team beat following week critics alleged ran score impress poll voters split number ranking notre dame following tie subsequent rout final wire service polls gave team national championship members team selected americans named coach year winning seasons followed notre dame repeat national champion late 1960s team finished record invited play postseason school long standing policy place forbidding team playing bowl games university needed funds minority scholarships decided use proceeds bowl fund team lost game eventual national champion later notre dame career notre dame continued succeed early 1970s led senior quarterback team finished second polls loss defeating upset perfect season won second national championship topped win alabama teams undefeated going game alabama held spot national polls named coach year season season started notre dame players accused rape suspended year charges ultimately filed called loss key defensive players great disappointment key players injured upset loss game season team hopes repeat national champions present pressure win took toll privately decided middle season resign sake health dealing death close friends year daughters battle multiple officially stepped mid december rumors began surface leaving post college program professional team said physically exhausted emotionally drained years coaching needed break game notre dame win rematch alabama succeeded seasons head coach record notre dame giving second wins football coach school history time time said planned year coaching considering run job professional ranks rumors circulated return notre dame denied finally decided december coach despite reportedly pursued national_football_league instead host television beginning following fall coaching appearance college players annual defending super bowl champion july chicago soldier field game halted second half torrential thunderstorm broke fans rushed field play resumed game played tenure notre dame school long dormant football rivalry michigan revived agreement signed schools met agreed restart series starting season notre dame athletic director orchestrated deal counterpart michigan friendship head coach played role teammates ohio served staff northwestern told looking forward facing notre dame replied opportunity notre dame away ornamentation players uniforms eliminating shoulder stripes switched team home navy blue irish wore green tenure successful run notre dame referred later life launched broadcasting career leaving notre dame served color analyst initially alongside covering series regional national college football games jumped covered college games network amassed career coaching record miami northwestern notre dame inducted inducted charter class member inducted awarded honorary doctorate miami served school board trustees got honorary degree notre dame won award year contributions sport portrayed late friend film chronicled determination overcome small size play notre dame saw drive placed scout team resigned end year successor defense end final game season recorded sack served honorary coaches notre dame spring game annual held april gold team defeated blue team year notre dame unveiled statue honor sculptor depicting players carrying field triumph following victory texas miami unveiled statue honor add cradle coaches plaza shows wearing notre dame looks ahead field married involved medical causes later life mike son daughter law founded foundation seeking cure genetic disorder affecting children causes buildup cells resulting damage nervous system eventually death grandchildren michael died disease active cause find cure multiple daughter diagnosed disease head coaching record note season final coaches poll known poll released bowl games team lost bowl game claim national championship changed result alabama winning coaches poll national championship despite losing notre dame sugar bowl
Ara Parseghian