Former Irish Coach Ara Parseghian Dies At Age 94

[condoms SUCk]

RIP coach

 

[gfviperman]

There will never, ever be a greater game, for me, than the 1973 Sugar Bowl ...

 

[dshans]

Ara was a good man, a good father, a good grandfather, and a good coach.

I can only hope that others like him pass our way again.

 

[MPClinton22]

The new video board has officially displayed its first message. Rest in Peace, Ara. The whole ND family is praying for you and yours.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">ARA. <a href="https://t.co/uzs7V8Atpk">pic.twitter.com/uzs7V8Atpk</a></p>— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/NDFootball/status/892913019797348352">August 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[pumpdog20]

RIP coach!

 

[calvegas04]

RIP coach, Will be missed by all

 

[phgreek]

RIP Ara...husband, father, molder of men.

 

[irishtrain]

Some of my earliest memories of CFB involved watching Notre Dame and Ara. One of the greatest to ever walk the sideline.

As I said before he was my favorite coach of any sport of all time, what a great man-it was a sad day that turned to happiness on the reflection of a great man. Thank You Ara.

 

[Irish#1]

There will never, ever be a greater game, for me, than the 1973 Sugar Bowl ...

Remember it very well. Ara took a lot of heat over the 10-10 tie with MSU. A lot of people claimed he was too conservative as a coach. The pass play from Clements to Weber from their own end zone wasn't conservative at all. IIRC Weber had not caught a pass all year. Shows you that Ara had faith in you to do your job.

Nice article in the Indy star on the ROMEO's club.


SOUTH BEND — The four men had lunch together every Wednesday at a local Italian restaurant.

Same time, same place, same booth each week. They called it the ROMEO Club, for Retired Old Men Eating Out.

The group consisted of longtime Notre Dame sports information director Roger Valdiserri, Elkhart businessman Art Decio, former Fighting Irish baseball and basketball coach Jim Gibbons and legendary football coach Ara Parseghian.

Parseghian, who led the Irish for 11 seasons and won national championships in 1966 and 1973, died at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday at his home in Granger. He was 94.

“The irony of it all is he died on a Wednesday,” said Valdiserri, who was one of Parseghian’s closest friends and worked as his sports information director from 1964-74. “It was a shock, but nevertheless, we all admired him and idolized him.”

The lunches began about nine years ago at Papa Vino’s. Gibbons was the newest member, replacing former Notre Dame fencing coach Mike DeCicco, who died in 2013. DeCicco had filled the spot of former Irish offensive coordinator Tom Pagna, who died in 2010.

The gentlemen typically met at noon for two hours or more. No one ordered the same thing. Parseghian liked to get tomato soup or a medium mixed greens salad. Conversation ranged from politics and “the disruption of the White House” to “our hopes and dreams” for the upcoming Notre Dame football seasons.

They never got around to making predictions for the 2017 season, though. Their last lunch was three weeks ago, before Parseghian was admitted to the hospital with an infection in his hip. And if Parseghian couldn’t make it to lunch, “none of us went,” Valdiserri said.

More Ara Parseghian coverage: 'Rudy' remembers the coach

Thinking back on time spent together, Valdiserri quickly cites some of his best memories of his friend. First was the 1973 Sugar Bowl, one of the most remarkable matchups in college football history.

It was No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 3 Notre Dame, coached by two future Hall of Famers in Paul “Bear” Bryant and Parseghian. It was the first meeting of these traditional powers and both were undefeated.

With two minutes remaining and the Irish holding onto a one-point lead, they faced third-and-8 from their own 3-yard line. Parseghian called a pass play, catching Alabama by surprise. Quarterback Tom Clements found tight end Robin Weber wide open for 35 yards down the left sideline, and Notre Dame ran out the clock to cap a 24-23 victory and win its second title under Parseghian.

“What was memorable about the game was Bear Bryant, such a stature, came into our locker room to congratulate the team and (Clements),” Valdiserri said. “He was such a gentleman.”

Off the field, Valdiserri said Parseghian was a jokester. Perhaps his favorite story is the time Parseghian and his assistant went into former basketball coach Digger Phelps’ office during lunch and took out all of his furniture, moving it to a different part of the building. When Phelps came back, the room was empty.

“That was just Ara’s nature,” Valdiserri said.

Parseghian never joked like that with players — that part was all business — though he did like going out to the practice field early and kicking field goals. Valdiserri remembers him having contests with his kickers: Parseghian, who was a three-sport athlete at Miami (Ohio) and had a brief NFL career, went first, then his kicker and they’d alternate and have a competition to see who could make the most before practice began.

Though Valdiserri and Parseghian enjoyed talking about the good times at their weekly lunches, Valdiserri always knew his friend endured an incredible amount of personal tragedy. In 1994, Parseghian and his son Michael and daughter-in-law Cindy founded the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation, raising money for research for Niemann-Pick Type C disease, a rare genetic pediatric neurodegenerative disorder that took the lives of his three grandchildren. The family has raised millions of dollars to try to find a cure.

Then five years ago, the Parseghians lost their oldest daughter, Karan Burke, to multiple sclerosis.

“I don’t know how they survived all those tragic moments,” Valdiserri said. “He would never pass along grief. He thought grief was personal and that he and his wife would endure it. They did so bravely.”

Now that his friend has passed, Valdiserri doubts the lunch club will continue to meet. He described Parseghian as the “glue that kept our group together.”

“I’m not sure we’re going to have the heart or stomach to do it anymore,” he said. “It’s going to be sad.

 

[dublinirish]

https://theringer.com/ara-parseghian-notre-dame-football-coach-dies-e442001c992f

 

[NDohio]

I hope his friends continue to meet in honor of him. That would be a greater testimony about him than them stopping the luncheons.

Neat article though.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Per Pete Sampson,

"Brian Kelly told the team that Notre Dame will have “Ara” on its helmets, centered above the face mask where "Irish” was last year."

 

[dublinirish]

“I don’t know how they survived all those tragic moments,” Valdiserri said. “He would never pass along grief. He thought grief was personal and that he and his wife would endure it. They did so bravely.”

Something very, very Irish about that. RIP Ara.

 

[dublinirish]

Per Pete Sampson,

"Brian Kelly told the team that Notre Dame will have “Ara” on its helmets, centered above the face mask where "Irish” was last year."

some Ara era throwbacks this year would be pretty neat even if its just the white socks with the navy and gold stripes

 

[zelezo vlk]

some Ara era throwbacks this year would be pretty neat even if its just the white socks with the navy and gold stripes

It'd be pretty sweet, doubt it happens though. Maybe stoke some fires and convince the team to get revenge against MSU for claiming Ara played for the tie?

 

[ulukinatme]

RIP Coach. Saw this yesterday. He lived a long life, but it's a shame he went out due to the hip surgery. It's great to see that so many people remembered him not just for his accomplishments on the field, but the work he did to fight Niemann-Pick Type C. A number of people, both connected to the University and from the outside, cited that work fighting NP-C as his lasting legacy...which is amazing to consider given all that he did accomplish on the field. Truly a great man, he will be missed.

 

[BobbyMac]

It'd be pretty sweet, doubt it happens though. Maybe stoke some fires and convince the team to get revenge against MSU for claiming Ara played for the tie?

#1 plays at #2 without leading rusher and lose their starting QB and 1 or 2 OL's including the OC during the game... and game ends in a tie. That's a W for the visitor every time.

The concept and importance of the tie in football has been lost in modern debate. Ara played to be National Champion and after the 51-0 demolition of #10 SC in LA a week later, that's exactly what he earned.

 

[zelezo vlk]

#1 plays at #2 without leading rusher and lose their starting QB and 1 or 2 OL's including the OC during the game... and game ends in a tie. That's a W for the visitor every time.

The concept and importance of the tie in football has been lost in modern debate. Ara played to be National Champion and after the 51-0 demolition of #10 SC in LA a week later, that's exactly what he earned.

I'm with you. BRING BACK TIES!!

 

[Irish#1]

#1 plays at #2 without leading rusher and lose their starting QB and 1 or 2 OL's including the OC during the game... and game ends in a tie. That's a W for the visitor every time.

The concept and importance of the tie in football has been lost in modern debate. Ara played to be National Champion and after the 51-0 demolition of #10 SC in LA a week later, that's exactly what he earned.

Irish missed a FG late in the game that would have won it. If Hanratty wouldn't have been hurt I think the Irish would have won.

On a side note, I was a freshman in HS that year. I had a bet with my biology teacher who wore a bow tie all the time. Loser had to wear a tie of the others choosing. Since it was a tie I wore his bow tie and he wore one of my dads neck ties.

 

[ND NYC]

RIP Ara

a Great ND Man...

 

[irishandy]

RIP Ara!

 

[BGIF]

Sent by my friend Betse Maloney Rizzi

Sent by my friend Betse Maloney Rizzi

Once upon a time i heard a little story...it went something like this...

Father Hesburgh was interviewing Ara Parseghian for the head coaching job at ND. When Father had a puzzled look on his face, Ara said " What's the problem Father, are you having trouble spelling Parseghian?"

Father Hesburgh replied "No, I am having trouble spelling Presbyterian."

Always loved that joke. RIP Ara

I doubt Father Ted had a problem with the spelling. Now writing it, in the same sentence with Notre Dame Head Coach might be a whole 'nother issue.


After Catholic, I believe Presbyterian is the second most frequent choice of persuasion by an ND head coach.

 

[BGIF]

Letters from his Loyal Sons

Letters from his Loyal Sons

Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish players write letters to late coach Ara Parseghian

After ND lost to Nebraska 40-6 in the '72 Orange Bowl:

He walks into the locker room after the loss and says: 'Gentlemen, remember this for as long as you live: Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which under prosperous conditions might have remained dormant,' and then he walked out of the room.

The next year, ND went 11-0 and won the National Championship.

I can't save my grandchildren, but I'm going to make sure no grandparent ever loses their child to this disease again.

He was our King Arthur. He was the guy that made Notre Dame so special for so many people because he was a manifestation for everything Notre Dame wanted to be noted for -- class, integrity, polish and character. Those are the things Ara Parseghian was all about.

"When you think about King Arthur and the myth of Camelot, it was the perfect place. King Arthur did everything not because he had might but because it was right, and that's what Ara did. He did things the right way.

Frank Pomarico

We've looked at your film, we've talked to the teachers and administrators at your high school, and we like the character that was profiled to us. We'd like you to be here if you can make a contribution to us. We'd like to trade your four-year experience for opportunities later in the 40 or 45 years you'll have to earn a living for your family

Ara Parshegian to Tomm Gatewood

Remember this your whole life through: That tomorrow there will be more to do, and failure waits for all who stay, with some success made yesterday. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is the future.

Coley O'Brien summing up Ara's life