Former Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian dies at age 94

Ara Parseghian, the former head football coach at Notre Dame, died Wednesday at his home in Granger, Ind., where he lived with Katie Parseghian, his wife of 68 years. He was 94. Parseghian retired from coaching in 1974 at the age of 51 after leading the Fighting Irish to two national championships (1966 and 1973). “Among his many accomplishments, we will remember him above all as a teacher, leader and mentor who brought out the very best in his players, on and off the field,” Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins said in statement. “He continued to demonstrate that leadership by raising millions of research dollars seeking a cure for the terrible disease that took the lives of three of his grandchildren.” Between 1997 and 2005, three of his son Michael’s children died from Niemann-Pick disease, which led to the creation of the Parseghian Medical Foundation. Parseghian was also involved with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society after his daughter Karan was diagnosed with the disease decades earlier. She died in 2014 at the age of 61. Parseghian had recently returned home after spending more than a week in a nursing care facility in South Bend, Ind., where had been treated for an infection in his surgically repaired hip. In addition to his wife and his son Michael, Parseghian is survived by his daughter Kristan.