30 Best College Football Coaches of All-Time
By Hayden Hyde
23. Ara Parseghian
- Career Record: 170-58-6
- Record at Each School: 39-6-1 at Miami (Oh), 36-35-1 at Northwestern, 95-17-4 at Notre Dame
- Bowl Record: 3-2
- Honors and Awards: Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (1964), 2x Football News Coach of the Year (1964, 1973), Induced into College Football Hall of Fame 1980
It’s hard not to think of the greatest college coaches of all time without the name of Ara Parseghian coming to mind. While some of Parseghian’s numbers may not stack up to others on this list, his impact on the coaching ranks and his players is a lasting one.
While successful at both Miami (Oh), and Northwestern, Parseghian is most known for his tenure at Notre Dame, where he led the Fighting Irish to two national championships in his first 10 years on the job.
The 1950s and early 1960s were a forgettable time in Notre Dame football history, but all that changed when Parseghian came on board in 1964. The Irish were almost immediately transformed back to the winning ways of the Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy eras.
During Parseghian’s tenure at Notre Dame, the long-dormant football rivalry with Michigan was revived through an agreement signed in 1970 with the help of then Michigan coach Bo Schembechler . The two schools had not met since 1943, and agreed to resume the series starting with the 1978 season.
One of the other notable items from Parseghian’s tenure in South Bend was uniform codes. All uniform ornamentation, including shamrocks and shoulder stripes, were done away with, as were any green jerseys. The Irish went to a plain navy blue home jersey while Parseghian was head coach.
Next: Darrell K. Royal