Top 25
13-32-3
- Games
- 48
- Win rate
- 30.2%
Coach Profile
1956-1974 • Northwestern, Notre Dame
2 schools coached, anchored by Notre Dame.
Ara Parseghian coached 19 seasons, won 71.0%, and posted an average SRS of 19.6. Best season: 1970 Notre Dame. The profile was balanced with a highly volatile profile. 2 stints shaped the career arc.
Career Dossier
The profile below keeps the headline numbers visible, then moves into tenure shape, school impact, and full season detail.
Primary school anchor
Notre Dame
Balanced profile with 2 program stops and a peak score of 97.7.
Track how the coach's season-to-season performance changed over time, where the peak landed, and where each school stint appears.
Focus on where peaks separate, where floors hold, and how the shape of each career changed over time.
Active comparison point
10-1 • SRS 32.2 • SP Overall 30.9
Win %
90.9%
YoY SRS
+7.5
SP Off / Def
40.1 / 9.2
Finish
#2
Comparison context
Focus a point to inspect how it stacks up against the rest of the field.
Track career record against ranked opponents with switchable poll source and ranking timing.
Using AP Top 25 rankings at the time of each game; week-one games use the week-one ranking release when available.
Top 25
13-32-3
Top 10
8-25-3
Top 5
4-15-2
| 1974 Regular Week 13 | Notre Dame | USC | #6 | L24-55 |
| 1974 Regular Week 11 | Notre Dame | Pittsburgh | #17 | W14-10 |
| 1974 Postseason Week 1 | Notre Dame | Alabama | #5 | W13-11 |
| 1973 Regular Week 9 | Notre Dame | USC | #9 | W23-14 |
| 1973 Postseason Week 1 | Notre Dame | Alabama | #4 | W24-23 |
| 1972 Regular Week 13 | Notre Dame | USC | #1 | L23-45 |
| 1972 Postseason Week 1 | Notre Dame | Nebraska | #4 | L6-40 |
| 1971 Regular Week 11 | Notre Dame | LSU | #14 | L8-28 |
| 1970 Regular Week 14 | Notre Dame | USC | #16 | L28-38 |
| 1970 Regular Week 13 | Notre Dame | LSU | #8 | W3-0 |
| 1970 Regular Week 12 | Notre Dame | Georgia Tech | #16 | W10-7 |
| 1970 Regular Week 8 | Notre Dame | Missouri | #17 | W24-7 |
| 1970 Postseason Week 1 | Notre Dame | Texas | #3 | W24-11 |
| 1969 Regular Week 6 | Notre Dame | USC | #7 | T14-14 |
| 1969 Regular Week 4 | Notre Dame | Michigan State | #19 | W42-28 |
| 1969 Regular Week 3 | Notre Dame | Purdue | #8 | L14-28 |
| 1969 Postseason Week 1 | Notre Dame | Texas | #1 | L17-21 |
| 1968 Regular Week 12 | Notre Dame | USC | #2 | T21-21 |
| 1968 Regular Week 3 | Notre Dame | Purdue | #1 | L22-37 |
| 1968 Regular Week 2 | Notre Dame | Oklahoma | #5 | W45-21 |
| 1967 Regular Week 6 | Notre Dame | USC | #1 | L7-24 |
| 1967 Regular Week 4 | Notre Dame | Purdue | #4 | L21-28 |
| 1966 Regular Week 11 | Notre Dame | Michigan State | #2 | T10-10 |
| 1965 Regular Week 11 | Notre Dame | Michigan State | #1 | L3-12 |
| 1965 Regular Week 7 | Notre Dame | USC | #8 | W28-7 |
| 1965 Regular Week 3 | Notre Dame | Purdue | #2 | L21-25 |
| 1962 Regular Week 9 | Northwestern | Wisconsin | #4 | L6-37 |
| 1961 Regular Week 10 | Northwestern | Michigan State | #8 | L13-21 |
| 1961 Regular Week 6 | Northwestern | Ohio State | #6 | L0-10 |
| 1960 Regular Week 10 | Northwestern | Michigan State | #12 | L18-21 |
| 1960 Regular Week 5 | Northwestern | Minnesota | #10 | L0-7 |
| 1960 Regular Week 4 | Northwestern | Iowa | #3 | L0-42 |
| 1959 Regular Week 11 | Northwestern | Illinois | #13 | L0-28 |
| 1959 Regular Week 10 | Northwestern | Michigan State | #11 | L10-15 |
| 1959 Regular Week 9 | Northwestern | Wisconsin | #7 | L19-24 |
| 1959 Regular Week 4 | Northwestern | Iowa | #10 | W14-10 |
| 1958 Regular Week 10 | Northwestern | Purdue | #8 | L6-23 |
| 1958 Regular Week 9 | Northwestern | Wisconsin | #5 | L13-17 |
| 1958 Regular Week 8 | Northwestern | Ohio State | #16 | W21-0 |
| 1958 Regular Week 7 | Northwestern | Iowa | #2 | L20-26 |
| 1957 Regular Week 8 | Northwestern | Ohio State | #6 | L6-47 |
| 1957 Regular Week 7 | Northwestern | Iowa | #3 | L0-6 |
| 1957 Regular Week 6 | Northwestern | Michigan | #20 | L14-34 |
| 1957 Regular Week 5 | Northwestern | Minnesota | #4 | L6-41 |
| 1957 Regular Week 4 | Northwestern | Oregon State | #7 | L13-22 |
| 1957 Regular Week 3 | Northwestern | Stanford | #17 | L6-26 |
| 1956 Regular Week 8 | Northwestern | Ohio State | #7 | L2-6 |
| 1956 Regular Week 6 | Northwestern | Michigan | #5 | L20-34 |
Each stint expands by seasons coached. Deeper color signals a stronger average SRS over that stretch.
Notre Dame
1964-1974 • 11 seasons
Avg SRS 24.9 • Win % 83.6%
Northwestern
1956-1963 • 8 seasons
Avg SRS 12.4 • Win % 50.7%
Compare strength, identity, steadiness, and ceiling through normalized bars with raw SP and SRS context underneath.
These bars are normalized against the full coach dataset. Raw SP and SRS values stay visible so the profile reads as evidence, not decoration.
Start with total quality before splitting style and variance.
Ara Parseghian sets the reference point in overall strength.
Ara Parseghian sets the reference point in overall strength.
Normalized score; raw SP overall stays underneath for reference.
Ara Parseghian
Elite
Elite
Normalized against the full tracked coach pool.
See how each stint compared with what that program usually looked like outside that same span.
1964-1974 • 95-17-4
Compared with this school's baseline outside that stint over the prior 5 seasons (5 baseline seasons found).
Avg wins
Higher is better
8.6 during vs 3.8 baseline
+4.8
Avg SRS
Higher is better
24.9 during vs 8.8 baseline
+16.1
Avg SP Overall
Higher is better
23.1 during vs — baseline
—
Ranked finish rate
Higher is better
100.0% during vs 20.0% baseline
+80.0%
1956-1963 • 36-35-1
Compared with this school's baseline outside that stint over the prior 5 seasons (5 baseline seasons found).
Avg wins
Higher is better
4.5 during vs 2.4 baseline
+2.1
Avg SRS
Higher is better
12.4 during vs 2.0 baseline
+10.4
Avg SP Overall
Higher is better
— during vs — baseline
—
Ranked finish rate
Higher is better
0.0% during vs 0.0% baseline
+0.0%
High Points
Best Season
Notre Dame 1970
10-1 • SRS 32.2
Biggest Improvement
Northwestern 1958
5-4 • 25.7 SRS
Best Offensive Season
Notre Dame 1970
10-1 • SP Off 40.1
Best Defensive Season
Notre Dame 1971
8-2 • SP Def 9.0
Setbacks
Worst Season
Northwestern 1957
0-9 • SRS -7.5
Biggest Drop
Northwestern 1957
0-9 • -14.8 SRS
Full transparency into every season in the coaching record. Positive YoY values indicate improvement from the prior season.
| Notre Dame | 1974 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 83.3% | #3 | #6 | 17.3 | 17.4 | 31.1 | 15.0 | -12.5 | -16.7% |
| Notre Dame | 1973 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% | #8 | #1 | 29.8 | 28.1 | 39.3 | 11.6 | +11.8 | +27.3% |
| Notre Dame | 1972 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 72.7% | #13 | #14 | 18.0 | 19.8 | 35.4 | 17.4 | -1.4 | -7.3% |
| Notre Dame | 1971 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 80.0% | #1 | #13 | 19.4 | 19.5 | 27.6 | 9.0 | -12.8 | -10.9% |
| Notre Dame | 1970 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 90.9% | #6 | #2 | 32.2 | 30.9 | 40.1 | 9.2 | +7.5 | +13.6% |
| Notre Dame | 1969 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 77.3% | #11 | #5 | 24.7 | — | — | — | +3.3 | +2.3% |
| Notre Dame | 1968 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 75.0% | #3 | #5 | 21.4 | — | — | — | -1.8 | -5.0% |
| Notre Dame | 1967 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 80.0% | #1 | #5 | 23.2 | — | — | — | -8.6 | -15.0% |
| Notre Dame | 1966 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 95.0% | #6 | #1 | 31.8 | — | — | — | +5.1 | +20.0% |
| Notre Dame | 1965 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 75.0% | #3 | #9 | 26.7 | — | — | — | -2.3 | -15.0% |
| Notre Dame | 1964 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 90.0% | — | #3 | 29.0 | — | — | — | +13.1 | +34.4% |
| Northwestern | 1963 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 55.6% | #6 | — | 15.9 | — | — | — | -8.2 | -22.2% |
| Northwestern | 1962 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 77.8% | — | — | 24.1 | — | — | — | +13.0 | +33.3% |
| Northwestern | 1961 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 44.4% | — | — | 11.1 | — | — | — | -3.9 | -11.1% |
| Northwestern | 1960 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 55.6% | #14 | — | 15.0 | — | — | — | -0.4 | -11.1% |
| Northwestern | 1959 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 66.7% | #10 | — | 15.4 | — | — | — | -2.8 | +11.1% |
| Northwestern | 1958 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 55.6% | — | — | 18.2 | — | — | — | +25.7 | +55.6% |
| Northwestern | 1957 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | -7.5 | — | — | — | -14.8 | -50.0% |
| Northwestern | 1956 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 50.0% | — | — | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | — |
Related profiles are matched by style, strength band, volatility band, peak range, and career length.
same balanced identity • avg SRS within 0.1
Avg SRS 19.6 • Peak SRS 35.0 • 16 seasons
Best finish #1 • Volatility 8.1
Open profile →same balanced identity • avg SRS within 1.1
Avg SRS 18.5 • Peak SRS 33.9 • 17 seasons
Best finish #1 • Volatility 7.9
Open profile →same balanced identity • volatility within 0.5
Avg SRS 17.0 • Peak SRS 31.6 • 18 seasons
Best finish #2 • Volatility 9.8
Open profile →same balanced identity • avg SRS within 0.4
Avg SRS 19.2 • Peak SRS 29.9 • 17 seasons
Best finish #1 • Volatility 6.7
Open profile →same balanced identity • avg SRS within 0.7
Avg SRS 18.9 • Peak SRS 35.4 • 23 seasons
Best finish #1 • Volatility 7.8
Open profile →same balanced identity • avg SRS within 0.6
Avg SRS 19.1 • Peak SRS 41.1 • 25 seasons
Best finish Unranked • Volatility 10.3
Open profile →