"It's "par" as in golf, "segh" as in Seagram's and "ian" as in the Japanese yen. Think of a drunk Japanese golfer." [on how to pronounce his surname]

Ara Raoul Parseghian (born May 21, 1923 in Akron, Ohio) is a former collegiate football coach who served as head coach for three teams, most notably the University of Notre Dame team from 1964-1974. During his 11 seasons as head coach with the Fighting Irish (known popularly as "the Era of Ara"), he compiled a 95-17-4 record, for a .836 winning percentage, making him the most successful Notre Dame coach of the modern era.

After serving in the Navy during World War II, Parseghian played halfback at Miami University and had a short pro career with the Cleveland Browns before an injury put an end to his playing days.

Parseghian was hired as Notre Dame's 22nd head coach, inheriting a team that had finished 2-7 in 1963. Parseghian took over a struggling Notre Dame football program in 1964 and instantly returned it to one of the nation's best programs. He guided the Irish to national championships in 1966 and 1973 and retired after the 1974 season with a 95-17-4 record.. Ara's superior organizational skills had a lot to do with this rapid turnaround as well as his ability to put the right players in the right positions. Ara did away with all ornamentation on the players' uniforms, eliminating the shamrocks and shoulder stripes. He also switched the home jerseys to navy blue; during his tenure, the Irish never wore green jerseys.

During the Era of Ara, the Irish won two national championships in 1966 and 1973, and the 1964 edition was also awarded the MacArthur Bowl. In 1973, Ara had his perfect season that had eluded him, topped off by a thrilling 24-23 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

After leaving Notre Dame, Parseghian entered private business. He also served as a color analyst for ABC Sports from 1975 to 1981 and for CBS Sports from 1982 to 1988.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2007 and was named an honorary Notre Dame alumnus in 1974.

He founded the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation which is seeking a cure for Niemann-Pick Type C disease (NP-C), a genetic, pediatric, neurodegenerative disorder responsible for the build-up of cholesterol in cells, resulting in eventual damage to the nervous system. He is also active in the cause to find a cure for multiple sclerosis; his daughter, Karan, was diagnosed with the disease. Ara is married to the former Kathleen Davis. They are parents of three children.

Ara Parseghian was honored with a statue inside Notre Dame Stadium. The statue showing Parseghian on the shoulders of his players following the 1971 Cotton Bowl win over top-rated Texas was dedicated Sept. 22, 2007 before the Michigan State-Notre Dame game. The statue shows Parseghian pumping his right fist in the air as he sits atop the shoulders of three players.

Parseghian told his former players he hopes that over the years they will stop by and visit the statue.

"Tell your children or grandchildren your own story about being part of this history," he said. "Stop a while and try to listen to the echoes. They'll be here."