Few coaches have been a better fit at Notre Dame than Ara Parseghian. This was no mere fit; this was a bespoke suit, although only as a figure of speech. The Parseghian who came to South Bend in December 1963 never stood still long enough for a tailor to measure him.
The legendary coach, who died Wednesday at 94, was in a hurry his whole life. Parseghian's life is an icon of 20th century America. He was a child of immigrants, an Armenian father and a French mother. He excelled in sports at South Akron (Ohio) High, where the editor of the yearbook declared in print that someday Parseghian would coach football at Notre Dame.