Recently, Next Up with Adam Breneman sat down with Marcus Freeman to discuss all things football, life, and his journey to become Notre Dame's head football coach. The conversation between Breneman and Freeman covers a wide range of topics, from Freeman's playing days to his coaching philosophies. Here are a few noteworthy topics from the episode . A special thanks to Front Office Sports and Adam Breneman! "In order to grow, you have to struggle" There's no question Freeman has experienced his fair share of adversity during his tenure at Notre Dame, but that isn't where the conversation about adversity started. Instead, Breneman asked Freeman about his adversity during his playing career. Freeman dives into how failure occurs at every stage of life, whether that's not starting for Ohio State, not getting drafted as high as he hoped, getting cut, or eventually learning of a heart condition that forced him into retirement. The two then talk about how it is important to appreciate those adversities, as they have helped mold Freeman into the coach he is today. Freeman talks about how this is a core principle he preaches to his players, a concept he hopes drives them to learn from their failures so that they can grow into better players and men. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. Speaking of overcoming adversity, Breneman also brings up Notre Dame's embarrassing loss to NIU early in the 2024 season, a game that Breneman admittedly says has been brought up a lot on their run to the National Championship. Freeman talks about the whirlwind of emotions that loss invoked coming off a big win at Texas A&M. Freeman was able to take a valuable lesson from the loss, however. That lesson is learning how to handle success. Freeman admits that the team nor the coaching staff wasn't mentally ready for the NIU game, causing their lackluster play on the field. Not only did that loss teach the team how to handle success, but it also gave them that adversity to learn from. Freeman says his message to the team was to "keep the pain," so that they would always remember what poor preparation can lead to. "What you love about coaching is impacting young people" Throughout Breneman and Freeman's conversation, Freeman's love for coaching is apparent. He repeatedly mentions his love for coaching is the ability to impact young men's lives. And not just football, Freeman hopes the time he spends with his players helps them on and off the field for the rest of their lives. Freeman states that his love for coaching does not come from winning games or anything like that, it comes from pushing his players to be the best version of themselves. He believes this starts with getting players outside their comfort zone, allowing them to fully grow. At the very end of the interview, Breneman asks, "What's your why?" Freeman answers that his players are the reason he loves his job. He explains that it is the ability to prepare young men for their future that makes his job so rewarding. It is easy to see Freeman's love for his players by the way he interacts with them on the field, but it is just as easy to see how much they care for him. Freeman perfectly fits the "player's coach" mold. This is easy to see in videos, like the one Breneman mentions, of the players embracing Freeman when he was announced as their new head coach. Freeman says it is important to maintain that relationship while also commanding a level of respect as their head coach. He explains he does this by letting his players see him as more than just a coach, but also by holding them all to a high standard on and off the field. "We can be as good as any program in the country" Coming off a season where Notre Dame fell just short of raising the National Championship trophy, Freeman is also asked about the things that are needed so that Notre Dame can one day hold that trophy. Freeman states that his past season proves that Notre Dame is right up there with the top teams in the country, but there is also more work to do. Freeman points out three areas that can be enhanced in the future to ensure that Notre Dame reaches its full potential. The first is talent; it goes without saying that great talent is needed to compete at the level Notre Dame wants to compete at. The second area is development. As important as it is to get talent, Freeman knows it is his and his coaching staff's job to develop that talent mentally and physically to be the best version of themselves on the field. Lastly, the third area that needs to be enhanced is culture. Freeman wants to not only find talented players; he wants to find talented players that fit the culture at Notre Dame. He explains that he wants unselfish players who are willing to put the team's goals ahead of their own. He knows at the end of the day, it is the entire program's job to promote that culture so that it continues to grow stronger. Here's the full interview with Marcus Freeman, click below to watch: Not working? Click this link to view the episode on YouTube. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

As spring practice has officially started for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, here are the impressions that have been made from the early enrollees on the offensive side of the ball. Art by The Irish Tribune Fresh off a National Championship run, Marcus Freeman has reloaded his roster to be primed to make another deep run into the playoffs next season for the Fighting Irish. With spring practices officially commencing, some of the freshmen who decided to enroll during the spring semester have started their first stint of spring camp. Here are some initial impressions from the freshman offensive early enrollees. Wide Receivers (3) We'll start in the wide receiver room, as it is the biggest early enrollee position group. The three freshmen early enrollees are Elijah Burress, Jerome Bettis Jr., and Scrap Richardson, and each is focusing on their own skillsets during spring camp. Burress, the four-star product from New Jersey, cited improving his blocking and creating more separation as his primary focuses during spring camp. As for Bettis, adjusting to the speed of the college game and being able to slow the game down, even in the practice setting, will be at the forefront of his mind. Richardson brings a more unique situation to spring practice, as the Greenville, Georgia native is switching from playing quarterback, running back, and defensive back in high school to the wide receiver position. Simple things such as technique in his stance and route running will be critical. The wide receiver room is open with Jordan Faison sharing time with lacrosse and Malachi Fields not enrolling until the summer. With limited numbers, these freshmen could make a splash during spring practices and start to cement trust from the coaching staff. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Offensive Line (3) Notre Dame has welcomed three offensive linemen into their early enrollee class, as Matty Augustine, Cam Herron, and Owen Strebig have all already set foot on campus. With Will Black being one of the heralded gems of this class, Augustin, Herron, and Strebig have flown under the radar as good additions to this class. However, as it is for most true freshman offensive linemen, all will be needing to bulk up to adjust their weights to the college level. As the Fighting Irish are bringing back five players who have starting experience along the offensive line, it is highly unlikely that any of these players will see significant playing time this year. Yet, in the midst of an elongated college football season, the ability to get to campus and learn from Joe Rudolph is extremely valuable. Quarterback (1) and Running Back (1) In the case for Blake Hebert and Nolan James Jr. the opportunity to come to campus early and start to learn Mike Denbrock's offensive playbook will pay dividends down the road, but maybe not so much this year. In the case for Hebert, he is entering as the true freshman who has been excluded from the ongoing quarterback competition between CJ Carr, Steve Angeli, and Kenny Minchey. With those three guys occupying most of the reps during spring practice, it is essential for Hebert to begin to familiarize himself with the playbook and start working on certain intangibles outside the field. As for James, he is being brought into one of, if not the most, complete running back rooms in all of college football. Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Gi'Bran Payne, and Aneyas Williams have all had extremely important reps during Notre Dame's past two seasons. Not to mention Kedren Young also in the mix, it will be necessary for James to pick the brain of the upperclassmen in front of him. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

As spring practice has officially started for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, here are the impressions that have been made from the early enrollees on the defensive side of the ball. Art by The Irish Tribune As Notre Dame has navigated through two weeks of spring practice, Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish have begun to integrate new talent to replace the departing players from the program. Last week, we heard from the newcomers on the offensive side of the ball, but this week, defensive newcomers had the chance to be approached by the media. While Notre Dame's defense will be going through enough changes as is, with Chris Ash replacing Al Golden as the Irish's defensive coordinator, the defense is still projected to be one of the nation's best next season. With tremendous depth across the linebacking room and edge rushers, being able to win playing time will be a tall task for many of these freshmen early enrollees. Let's break down which freshman can see the field the earliest in their careers with the Blue and Gold. Defensive Back (3) By position group, the defensive back room has the best odds to crack playing time early in their careers. The freshman with the highest probable odds is JaDon Blair. Blair made substantial improvements in the weight room early on through this process and has already put on substantial weight during his few months in South Bend. Coming from the son of an NFL player, Blair's knowledge of the game and natural instincts will allow him to shine. Couple that with the fact that Virginia Tech transfer Jalen Stroman is out for spring practice, Blair has the opportunity to fight up the depth chart with more opportunities. Accompanying Blair in the safeties room is Ethan Long. Long, the product from Milford, Conn., will also have a chance to showcase his talents with the more reps given this spring practice. The two prospects will be toying it out with fellow safeties Luke Talich and Kennedy Urlacher to see who will be the next man in after Stroman, to accompany Adon Shuler. The lone cornerback early enrollee Cree Thomas spoke about his connection with All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison, in which they attended the same high school. Thomas is coming into a loaded cornerback room that is returning both starters, Leonard Moore and Christian Gray. Yet, depth is a bit of an issue for the cornerbacks, and after seeing the number of injuries last season, Thomas is training as if his number will be called next year. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Linebacker (1) and Defensive Line (1) The final two defensive early enrollees for the Fighting Irish are Madden Faraimo and Davion Dixon. Both these prospects physically look the part of a certified Division I football player, with Faraimo checking in at 224 pounds and Dixon checking in at 323 pounds. Faraimo is likely to slide into the hole left by senior captain Jack Kiser and looks to make an instant impact for the linebacking room. While Notre Dame rotated five players last year, it should be interesting to see how Ash and linebackers coach Max Bullough allocate defensive snaps next season. Dixon is sidelined for spring practice with a right pectoral injury but is taking mental reps and trying to assimilate himself into the Notre Dame defense. With an interior defensive line that is arguably the biggest question mark on that side of the ball, Dixon could potentially be an answer once the Homestead, Fla. native gets healthy. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame recruiting continues to build momentum in the class of 2026, as 4-Star RB Javian Osborne from Forney, Texas, looks to build upon an impressive lineage at the position for the Irish. Osborne chose the Fighting Irish over the Michigan Wolverines. Art by The Irish Tribune Osborne, touted for his agility and elusiveness, brings a host of tools to the Irish backfield and is the first major recruiting win for newly minted RB Coach Ja'Juan Seider. Osborne burst onto the scene during a sophomore season that saw him amass a staggering 2154 yards on the ground, paired with 39 total touchdowns and nearly 8 yards per carry over 14 games. He would continue to roll in his junior season, collecting close to 1100 yards with 21 touchdowns in just nine games. Osborne drew praise from The Irish Tribune's Max Uretsky, who said in a recent article ; "Osborne has very good athletic ability across the board. His agility and change of direction shine in how he can consistently make defenders miss in tight spaces. He has good acceleration, which allows him to pull away from defenders in the open field. Osborne runs with very good patience, which is hard to instill in young running backs, and allows his blocks to develop before hitting his opening with very good burst. He has an explosive jump cut that he uses after pressing the hole, quickly finding space to attack. In the open field, he is not as physical as Walton, but still shows some good contact balance and loves to implement some hurdles when defenders go low. Osborne also shows a willingness to pass protect, but whereas Walton leans on his overall strength and technique, Osborne prefers to implement cut blocks and tries to take defenders out at the legs." Osborne is a welcome addition to Notre Dame's third-ranked class in the country, as Marcus Freeman and the staff have shown no signs of slowing down on the trail. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame and Clemson have inked a 12-year deal for a home-and-home series from 2027-2038. Art by The Irish Tribune Notre Dame has recently announced a 12-year home-and-home series with recent ACC rival Clemson, beginning in 2027. The Irish currently have a long-term deal in place with the ACC, facing between 5-6 conference opponents per season through 2037, but this new deal will likely see changes coming down the pipe. The agreement is technically not a 12-year contract, as Notre Dame was already scheduled to play the Tigers five times intermittently throughout its current ACC deal (2027, 2028, 2031, 2034, 2037), but the two programs have added seven additional dates going through the 2038 season to make it an annual affair. Subsequently, the Irish will likely see fewer of the smaller-profile ACC football schools in favor of marquee broadcasting matchups with Florida State and Miami.  When making the announcement, Notre Dame’s 2nd-year AD Pete Bevacqua stressed the importance of this kind of agreement: “We strive to consistently create a football schedule that positions us for success in the College Football Playoff, and that goal requires us to form historic partnerships like this one with Clemson.” He furthered his point: “This rivalry has already produced some of the most memorable moments in recent college football history, and our fans deserve these matchups to continue to make those indelible memories.” Clemson-Notre Dame Series Future Dates 2027 –  at Clemson (Nov. 13th - Pre-existing) 2028 –  at Notre Dame (Nov. 11th - Pre-existing) 2029 –  at Clemson 2030 –  at Notre Dame 2031 –  at Clemson (Sept. 1st - Preexisting) 2032 –  at Notre Dame 2033 –  at Clemson 2034 –  at Notre Dame (Nov. 11th - Pre-existing) 2035 –  at Clemson 2036 –  at Notre Dame 2037 –  at Clemson (Sept. 26th - Pre-existing) 2038 –  at Notre Dame Clemson, Florida State, and Miami have been collectively embroiled in a public dispute with ACC brass regarding revenue distribution, national television access, and conference exit penalties. In the most recent amended distribution model, many reports whispered about Notre Dame being used as a bargaining piece with the blue-chip ACC programs, giving them increased media coverage through Notre Dame’s exclusive broadcasting partnership with NBC and a higher-caliber regular season opponent to build stronger playoff resumes.  With this new decade-plus Clemson deal, rumors of increased exposure with FSU and Miami, and a National Championship appearance under their belt, Notre Dame is only strengthening its case for independence. To have the three best teams in the ACC fighting for access to you and a conference committee making it a part of the new revenue agreement as an appeasement must mean you’re doing something right. As far as the ACC is concerned, this is only good news, as Notre Dame’s status well into the 2030s is secured, and the new deal with Clemson will likely help the conference placate both sides for the foreseeable future.  For the Irish, it’s a win-win. They’ve secured an annual game with one of the three best programs in the entire conference while keeping their additional ACC revenue coming in and potentially decreasing the overall games left to be played in its scheduling contract. That’s because the seven additional Clemson games through this period will officially count towards Notre Dame’s game requirement, likely freeing them from the long-term deal a bit earlier.   Notre Dame-Clemson Series History Let's take a look at how this series started and the road that's brought us here. 1977 - at Clemson, SC 21-17 - ND The first game of a home-and-home series was negotiated and signed by legendary Notre Dame Athletic Director Moose Krause. The #5 Irish mounted a heroic comeback over the #15 Tigers, down 10 going into the fourth quarter. Joe “the Comeback Kid” Montana scored 14 unanswered points to steal the road victory and open up the series’ first game with a Notre Dame win. This game had an incredible 26 future NFL-ers on the field between the two schools, and the Irish went on to win head coach Dan Devine his 1st and only National Title. Devine notoriously flipped off Tigers fans as the Irish left the field, setting a… competitive tone for the series! 1979 - at South Bend, IN 16-10 - CLEM The Tigers traveled to South Bend this go ‘round, and beat the Irish for just the 3rd time ever on Notre Dame’s Senior Day. In a reversal of the 1977 game, Clemson fought back from a 0-10 halftime gap and won the game on a late touchdown pass. 2015 - at Clemson, SC 24-22 - CLEM Thirty-five years since their last meeting, the #6 Irish hit the road for the deep South to face off with the #12 Tigers once again, and the result captured the nation’s attention. With a Clemson Stadium record 38 future NFL players on the field, the two heavyweights battled it out in an absolute onslaught of rain brought on by a withering hurricane. The game was a back and forth affair, but the Irish marched down the flooded sod to score a potential tying touchdown, but it all came down to a 2-point conversion. Unfortunately, the Irish just couldn’t get the push up-front, and QB DeShone Kizer fell just short of the goal line on a sneak. The heartbreaker breathed new life into the throwback series, and the hunger for a rematch began. 2018 - at Arlington, TX - Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic 30-3 - CLEM The two teams met in the 2018 CFP and were the first two undefeated teams to go head-to-head in the playoffs’ short history. Unfortunately, Trevor Lawrence and the #2 Tigers utterly embarrassed #3 Notre Dame and secured their third straight win in the series. 2020 - South Bend, IN 47-40 - ND The first season in history that Notre Dame played within a conference, these two met amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, but put on an absolute show. In what many consider the rivalry’s best game yet, #4 Notre Dame welcomed #1 Clemson to South Bend for the first time since 1979, and the two squads traded blows all game. None other than all-time great Irish running back Kyren Williams scored the go-ahead touchdown before the Irish defense responded with back-to-back sacks to put away the Tigers in 2OT. The game sent Irish fans storming onto the field to celebrate, snapping Clemson’s 36-game regular-season win streak, and cementing the rivalry. 2020 - Charlotte, NC - ACC Championship Game 34-10 - CLEM In Notre Dame’s first and only conference title game, the Irish rematched with Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers for a shot at the 2020 CFP. In a game that resembled the 2018 debacle more than the 2OT thriller from a few weeks before, Clemson routed the Irish 34-10 to win their 6th straight ACC Championship title. 2022 - South Bend, IN 35-14 - ND #5 Clemson arrived in South Bend rocking a stellar 8-0 undefeated record and were heavily favored over the unranked 5-3 Irish. Notre Dame stunned Clemson with a 14-0 halftime lead, but the Irish poured it on with three straight 4th quarter touchdowns to put it out of reach. It was 28-0 before the Tigers added garbage-time points, but the Irish finally got their revenge from 2020. 2023 - Clemson, SC 31-23 - CLEM Once again, roles flipped in this one, with the (7-2) #12 Irish falling to an unranked (4-4) Tigers squad after they jumped out to a (24-9) halftime lead. The Tigers added another score in the third quarter and never looked back, holding the Irish scoreless in the fourth to win a spoiler, 31-23. Series Score: (5-3) Clemson Clemson is one of just six programs with a winning record (with a 2-game minimum) over Notre Dame, joined only by UGA (3-1), Ohio State (7-2), Michigan (25-1-17), Nebraska (8-1-7), and Oregon State (2-1). In all 8 games between the two programs, at least one side has been ranked within the top-15, while 5 games had both ranked within the top-15, and the other 3 saw each ranked within the top-5.  Future Schedules The addition of a Clemson annual game has caused a stir regarding the future of Notre Dame’s schedule, as they’ve signed multiple high-profile home-and-home agreements over the last few years. Many point to the 2029 season and later as an example of the increasingly well-rounded and challenging nature of Notre Dame’s future schedules. As you can see above, there are several seasons in a row with at least 1-2 SEC opponents, significantly more competitive ACC opponents, and even a few BIG10 teams sprinkled in for good measure. The commentary has been almost entirely positive, but some fans are a bit concerned by the absence of one specific team in these future schedules: USC. The Trojans and Irish have not yet agreed to a renewed scheduling deal, and as of May 2025, there are no scheduled matchups between the two set after the 2026 season. Just this past season, fans from both sides of the aisle became concerned following some dubious and cryptic comments from USC’s upper brass when pressed about the Notre Dame rivalry and future games.  USC’s AD Jennifer Cohen cautioned that; “…the landscape has changed dramatically. We're now playing in a conference where we fly back and forth across the country every week, and CFP expansion, and how you get access to the CFP, and how things are seeded and selected. Those, to me, are important, unanswered questions." When prompted, head coach Lincoln Riley was equally noncommittal, saying,   "There (have) been a lot of teams that sacrifice rivalry games...I'm not saying that's what's going to happen, but as we get into this playoff structure and if it changes or not, we get into this new conference, we're going to learn some about this as we go and what the right and best track is to winning a national championship."  Final Thoughts With or without the likes of a recently struggling USC program, Notre Dame has already set itself up with one of the strongest and most consistent future schedules in college football and has only improved their general independent positioning. The most significant criticism of the ACC deal was a lack of consistently strong opponents, but an annual Clemson game alongside more shots at Miami and FSU essentially solves any substantive ACC issues. If you take that alongside an increased BIG 10 and SEC scheduling footprint, it means Notre Dame has not anchored itself deeper in the ACC and strengthens their overall regular-season competition level. In a world built around the CFP, Notre Dame’s only path there is built on the backs of 12 solid opponents, and the Irish are already lining up 4+ marquee showdowns per season for the foreseeable future. It remains to be seen how beneficial these games turn out for either squad, primarily hinging on how competitive these top-tier ACC teams stay (LOOKING AT YOU FSU), but if their performances over the last 10 years are any indicator, Notre Dame is once again heading in the right direction. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Officially moved to Sunday, September 6th, 2026, the Fighting Irish will take on the Badgers in arguably the most historic and legendary stadium in professional football, and one of the most historic in all of sports: Lambeau Field. Art by The Irish Tribune Notre Dame will play the Wisconsin Badgers on September 6th, 2026, at Lambeau Field for the 2026 edition of the Shamrock Series, it was officially announced by the two schools. Art by The Irish Tribune The matchup was originally scheduled for the 2020 season but was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The game will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock as a Sunday matchup, presumably before NBC’s weekly Sunday Night Football broadcast. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off It will be the third time a college football game has been played at the Green Bay Packers’ home venue, a first for the Irish and the second for the Badgers. It will also mark the second time Notre Dame faces Wisconsin in the Shamrock Series, after defeating the Badgers 41–13 in 2021 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. A look at the history of the Shamrock Series, courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics: What are your thoughts on this matchup and its official iconic location, Irish fans? Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Texas is one of the country's biggest hotbeds for high school football talent. After nabbing a commitment from 4-star running back Javian Osborne out of Forney High School, Notre Dame struck gold again in the Lone Star State when defensive tackle Tiki Hola announced he would be the latest addition to the Fighting Irish's already stellar 2026 class. Photo via Tiki Hola, Instagram (@dareatiki3), Photo by Albert Vazquez (@chachephotos) The 285-pound lineman plays with a blend of athleticism and power that is undeniable and he finished his Junior campaign with an eye-popping 102 tackles. Defensive Line Coach Al Washington is on an impressive run on the recruiting trail, and adding a player like Hola will continue to ensure the defensive side of the ball does not miss a beat in the coming years. The film spoke for itself, and after doing my evaluation, I want to review all of the factors that make Hola a perfect fit for the Blue and Gold. Each trait will be graded on a scale of 1 (Poor) to 7 (Elite). Let's get into it! Upfield Burst: Very Good (6) Hola does a good job keying the ball, and is generally the one making the contact as opposed to the one absorbing it. He gets off the line with good pad level and attacks upfield as a one-gap defender. Hola has excellent balance for his size, which allows him to deal with cut blocks from linemen while maintaining his path upfield. He also shows some good lateral agility and change of direction as a looping defensive tackle on stunts, with the closing burst to make quarterbacks uncomfortable when he isn't getting home for the sack. Run-Stopping: Elite (7) Run-stopping is the bread and butter of Hola's game, and it is something to be seen. He has the versatility to be effective from multiple alignments, and I think he fits very nicely as a 1-technique in an even front and a 5-technique in an odd front. He plays with powerful hands and is consistently able to completely lock out vs offensive linemen, making it easy for him to disengage from blocks at the point of attack. He possesses high Football IQ, and knows when to attack upfield right away, or when to throttle down and leverage his gap and let the play come to him. Hola has zero issue holding up vs double teams and has the play strength to be successful as a two-gapper. Hola is a certified run stuffer and already has the ideal frame you want in a player for the role he will most likely be asked to fit. Use of Hands: Elite (7) Hola plays with excellent hand placement, getting into the offensive lineman's chest quickly and knocking them off balance right off the snap. He also knows how to get wrist control, which allows him to steer linemen where he wants and then shed when it is time to make a play. He creates separation with his hand usage, which allows him to freely pursue ball carriers at the appropriate angles. UOH is a subtle trait, but one that is the difference between a good defensive lineman and a great one. Pass Rush: Solid (4) If I had to guess, Hola will never be a double-digit sack type of player, but that doesn't mean he doesn't offer some value as a rusher as well. For his size, he has a good change of direction, and his pursuit motor borders elite, and that alone will result in some hustle sacks when QBs hang on to the ball too long. Aside from that, though, there are some actual pass rush tools in his bag. On both the interior and lined up on the edge, Hola's ability to Bull Rush is very evident. When playing as a 5-tech, if he gets matched up vs an offensive tackle who struggles to anchor, it could certainly spell trouble for the offense. In addition to that, he has a good compact swim move he employs on occasion, and because of the athleticism he has, when allowed to attack OT's from an angle, he could provide a little juice on outside rushes. Tiki Hola has a very defined skill set as a Day 1 run stopper with a solid floor as a pass rusher. The more the 2026 class takes shape, the more you can see the vision Marcus Freeman has for this team and why fans should not be worried about any type of fall off under his tenure. Hola, along with the rest of the recent commits, will be joining one of the nation's most historic programs and will continue to help keep that tradition alive. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Here we are, nearly at the end of our journey to settle the debate over who earns the title of Notre Dame’s greatest head coach of all-time. We began our dive into the elite portion of Notre Dame’s top coaches list using the same established criteria to identify our #10-#6 spots. Photo by the University of Notre Dame Our top-5 list thus far is: 5. Dan Devine 4. Lou Holtz 3. Ara Parseghian Now at our top-2 spots, the most controversial and divisive decision of the entire process will be made - who secures the top spot, and who's named runner-up.   Any good list should have either Frank Leahy or Knute Rockne at the top, with an easy case to be made for either’s superiority. Rockne tends to get the nod due to his historical significance, but Leahy’s resume is technically more impressive on paper. Let’s see how our list shook out. 2. Frank Leahy After much deliberation, Knute Rockne managed to just barely edge Frank Leahy out for the top spot on our list. Ultimately, only one Irish coach could win the top spot, but Leahy’s rank is less a #2 and more a 1B to Rockne’s 1A. Frank Leahy’s history with Notre Dame began on the field playing for the legendary Knute Rockne. He played offensive tackle from 1928-1930, where he helped the program earn its 2nd and 3rd National Titles. After school, he made a name for himself in the coaching world at Boston College, leading the Eagles in 1939 and 1940. BC put up a nearly perfect 20-2 record with Leahy at the helm, including an undefeated 1940 season, and a Sugar Bowl win against Tennessee. Despite recently signing an extension to stay with BC, Leahy changed his tune when his Alma Mater came knocking with an offer of their own. With the ink still fresh on his extension and a new offer in hand, Leahy began trying to find a way out. After repeated rejections by BC’s upper brass to dissolve the contract, Leahy desperately appealed to the Mayor of Boston and the Governor of Massachusetts for help, but made no progress. As a last resort, Leahy held an impromptu press conference to force Boston College’s hand. With a straight face and full of confidence, Leahy informed reporters and BC that he’d been formally released from his contract and intended to leave for Notre Dame immediately. Shortly after, BC’s Vice President called and begrudgingly granted Leahy’s wish to leave. Leahy’s first season coaching in South Bend started with a bang - winning 5 straight games before tying #16 Army 0-0 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. They’d go on to win their remaining 3 games against #6 Navy, #8 Northwestern, and USC, finishing at #3 in the polls with an 8-0-1 record. It was an immediate improvement for the program, topping their back-to-back 7-2 seasons before Leahy’s arrival. Going undefeated in his very first year earned Leahy the fans’ admiration, along with formal recognition from the football establishment with that season’s “Coach of the Year” award.  The 1942 season began with one of the most controversial decisions of Leahy’s Notre Dame career - leaving Rockne’s famous “Box” formation behind for a new system, the “T-Formation.” Such a fundamental scheme change came with a learning curve and understandably took some time to perfect. As a result, the Irish would take a step back from the prior year’s progress, finishing at #6 in the polls with a 7-2-2 record. Their losses came against Georgia Tech and #6 Michigan at home, and ties with both Wisconsin and Great Lakes Navy on the road. After a tough year implementing and adjusting to the “T-Formation,” Leahy’s squad spent the offseason drilling it to perfection, and it paid off. The Irish stared down the barrel of a grueling schedule, forced to go on the road for 7 of their 10 games and desperate to prove Leahy’s decision right. With the deck stacked against them, the 1943 Irish beat 7 of the top 13 teams in the country, including #2 Michigan, #3 Navy, #3 Army, #8 Northwestern, and #2 Iowa Pre-Flight. Irish QB Angelo Bertelli led a prolific offensive attack that outscored their opponents by a staggering 341-69 margin. They were a perfect 9-0 heading into their final game of the season against Great Lakes Navy, but ultimately fell 14-19, the only blemish on their record. Regardless, Bertelli’s talent won him the Heisman and the Irish earned the 1943 Consensus National Title - the first of Leahy’s coaching career, Notre Dame’s 4th, and the program’s first awarded by the Associated Press. Due to the onset of WWII, Leahy left South Bend to join the Navy, and in his absence, the Irish went 8-2 in 1944 and 7-2-1 in 1945. While not terrible, they were a tough follow-up to the highs of the 1943 National Title, and hopes that Leahy would return from the war and guide the program back to the top grew deeper. Thankfully, Leahy returned for the 1946 season as a newly promoted Lieutenant and picked up right where he left off in 1943. The 1946 Irish began their campaign with 5 straight wins, climbing to the #2 spot in the polls as they prepared to once again face off with #1 Army at Yankee Stadium. The matchup was enormous, with the two best teams in the country both averaging more than 30 points a game and Army riding a 25-game win streak, having last lost in 1943 to Leahy and the Irish. Army was led by FB Doc Blanchard and RB Glenn Davis, with QB Johnny Lujack and FB Leon Hart leading the Irish. The 1946 clash was the only game to ever have 4 eventual Heisman Trophy winners on the same field at one time. Surprisingly, neither high-powered offense made much progress, giving up the ball a combined 10 times and each team failing to convert multiple 4th & goal opportunities. The second half saw even less progress than the first, with neither offense making it into the red zone, ultimately ending in a 0-0 stalemate.  The Irish would quickly return to form, winning their final 3 games in dominant fashion to end the season with an 8-0-1 record. Despite just missing out on another perfect season, the 1946 squad secured the National Title, giving Leahy the 2nd of his career. Notre Dame’s offense led the nation in both total offense and rushing yards per game, putting up 271 points over 9 games. The Irish defense never allowed more than 6 points in a single game, with an insane 5 shutouts, only 24 points surrendered all season, and led the nation in fewest yards allowed. Due to his success both before and after his departure for the war, the University named Leahy Athletic Director in 1947, a position he would hold through 1949. Unknowingly, the success of the 1946 season would kick off 4 years of near-complete dominance by Notre Dame. The Irish followed their nearly perfect 1946 Championship season with a flawless 9-0 outing in 1947. They bounced between #1 and #2 all year, highlighted by a win over #9 Army and a 37-7 no-doubter over #3 USC in the season finale. Notre Dame secured a second consecutive National Title (Leahy’s 2nd) along with another Heisman trophy, this time going to QB Johnny Lujack. At the start of the 1948 season, Leahy and the Irish were once again poised to continue their reign of dominance, with a 3rd consecutive Championship all but guaranteed. They won their first 9 games and entered their final matchup with USC at #2 in the polls. Unfortunately, the Irish could not separate themselves from the Trojans, and the game would end in a 14-14 tie. Unlike the 1946 season, Notre Dame’s lone tie was too much to overcome, and they’d just miss out on that year’s Title to the undefeated/untied Michigan Wolverines.  Although the failed 3-peat loomed large over the program, Notre Dame had just posted their 3rd straight undefeated season, and everyone expected similar success in 1949. Once again, Leahy and his boys responded to the pressure, beating #4 Tulane, #10 Michigan State, and #17 USC en route to a perfect 10-0 record. This team was potentially Leahy’s most offensively dominant, outscoring their opponents by a stunning 360-86 margin, along with yet another Heisman Trophy, this time going to FB Leon Hart. With no tie to spoil their Championship hopes, the 1949 Fighting Irish secured the National Title, giving Leahy his 3rd in 4 years and his 4th overall. Over these 4 seasons, Leahy led the Irish on arguably the most successful stretch in school history, going 36-0-2 with 2 undefeated/untied seasons, 3 National Titles, and 2 Heisman Trophies. Notre Dame’s 1950 squad entered the season at #1, poised to repeat their Title-winning campaign the year before. Leahy’s teams were used to this kind of hype, but unlike previous seasons, they now faced both an exodus of roster talent and a decrease in scholarships from 33 to 18. They stumbled in only their second game of the season, losing to unranked Purdue and beginning a spiral that ended with the worst record of Leahy’s tenure, 4-4-1. After 4 straight years of dominance, the 1950 season was an incredible disappointment, and Leahy found himself needing to correct the program’s trajectory before things got out of control. 1951 and 1952 were an improvement, with the Irish scraping together back-to-back 7-2-1 records and finding a way to maintain their relevance. Leahy would complete his rebuild in 1953, leading his squad to wins over #6 Oklahoma, #15 Pitt, #4 Georgia Tech, and #20 Navy to earn Notre Dame the #1 rank going into week 8. Unfortunately, their momentum ran out, and they drew 14-14 against Iowa, dropping to #2 in the polls. Despite winning their final 2 games led by Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lattner, the 9-0-1 1953 squad would just miss out on a consensus National Title. They were named Champion by multiple selectors, but the University does not recognize this Title as one of their formal 11. With 2 years left on his contract, Leahy retired from coaching following the conclusion of the 1953 season and was succeeded by Terry Brennan. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970 for his accomplishments as both a player and coach while at Notre Dame, being a part of 6 championships, including 2 as an Irish player. While Rockne may be the most historically significant coach in Notre Dame’s long history, Leahy achieved more on paper and compiled a more complete resume. Leahy trails Rockne in tenure by 2 years but managed to record a nearly identical win percentage, only (.026) behind Rockne’s (.881),  good enough for the 2nd best win percentage in Division 1 college football history, again behind only Rockne. Leahy led the program to 4 Title wins compared to Rockne’s 3, and while not an entirely fair comparison, Leahy coached 4 Heisman Trophy winners (Angelo Bartelli, Johnny Lujack, Leon Hart, and Johnny Lattner) while Rockne had none. The award was not created until the 1935 season, but it's within reason to believe Rockne would have coached at least a few Heisman winners during his time. Some of his star players included Hunk Anderson, Rip Miller, George Gipp, Elmer Layden, Harry Stuhldreher, Jim Crowley, and Don Miller, all of whom were at the top of college football’s talent pool at one point or another. The most prominent blemishes on Leahy’s resume are his 4-4-1 season and a career seemingly cut short by health and circumstance. Despite these criticisms, Leahy was the first head coach to bring the Irish back to prominence following the tragic passing of Rockne, and he managed to find success both before and after leaving South Bend to serve his country. His absence was felt almost immediately after his departure, as the Irish quickly fell into relative mediocrity and wouldn’t win another Title until 1966. Whether or not you agree with Leahy’s position at #2, his resume is undeniable, and he’d likely take the #1 spot on most blue chip programs’ all-time coaches lists. Leahy led the Irish to a total of 4 National Championships (#1 all-time at Notre Dame), coached 4 Heisman Trophy winners (#1 all-time at Notre Dame), posted 6 undefeated seasons (2 of those being both undefeated and untied), and led a 36-0-2 undefeated streak over 4 seasons. His final record with the Irish was 87-11-9, a (.855) win percentage, and only lost 2 consecutive games once in his entire career (1950). Whether you put him at #1 or #2 on Notre Dame’s list, Frank Leahy is, without a doubt, one of the greatest coaches of all time across all of college football. His character and the impact he had on those around him somehow managed to outshine his impeccable resume, a feat in and of itself. Next Up By process of elimination, it’s abundantly clear that Knute Rockne has secured our top spot on Notre Dame‘s all-time greatest coaches list. In our next article, we’ll break down Rockne’s resume and examine the impact of his legacy within the program today. 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In our last piece, we covered the career of Notre Dame legend Lou Holtz, from his journey to the top job in South Bend to his place on Notre Dame’s Mount Rushmore. With Dan Devine at #5 and coach Holtz holding down the #4 spot, we’re left with the cream of the crop - the top 3. Let’s cut to the chase and take a look at who earned the #3 spot. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics 3. Ara Parseghian Ara Parseghian was born to an Armenian father and French mother who immigrated to the United States just before the great depression. They raised their family in Akron, Ohio, during the 1920s and 30s and stressed academics and their catholic faith. Even still, young Ara was an athlete from the start, playing basketball and baseball throughout his youth before becoming an avid golfer in high school. He worked at several golf courses in the Akron area and eventually became head caddy at the Loyal Oak Golf Club. It wasn’t until his junior year that the Parseghian brothers forged their mother’s signature to finally get Ara onto the football team, but their ruse was spoiled when Mrs. Parseghian saw her son amongst the high school football team’s photo in the local newspaper. Despite her protests and concern, the sport quickly became Ara’s infatuation and eventually took him to the University of Akron, where he played both football and basketball for the Zips. When spring arrived in early 1943, the bitter reality of war had finally reached the American public, and Ara wouldn’t deny the call. He left school only months after arriving to join the United States Navy and was stationed at the well-known Great Lakes naval training base just north of Chicago.  In an effort to keep cadets in tiptop shape, Great Lakes Naval Station fielded a collegiate football team that competed on a national level. Although initially just an organized excuse to work out and compete, the “Bluejackets“ became a surprisingly formidable foe with truly talented players, and in 1943, that included Parseghian. Ara slotted in at various positions on the gridiron, but primarily came out of the backfield with the rushing attack. The Bluejackets went (9-2), with wins over Iowa, Pitt, #18 Ohio State, and Indiana before the season finale - a heavyweight bout with Frank Leahy’s #1 Fighting Irish. Notre Dame was heavily favored heading into the contest, but the Bluejackets kept the game close, trailing just (12-14) late in the 4th quarter. With time running out, the Bluejackets tossed up a 46-yard prayer from near midfield, only to reel it in for a score with just 33 seconds left, stunning Leahy and the Irish to win (19-14). The monumental upset and (10-2) finish earned Great Lakes Navy the #6 spot in the season’s final AP poll. With the war in full swing, football provided a major outlet for soldiers and the public alike, and young  Ara was chomping at the bit to rejoin his blue jackets for the 1944 season and get to work. Great Lakes Navy announced the arrival of a new head coach, Paul Brown, a freshly commissioned lieutenant in the United States Navy. While an incredible achievement, his rank was deemed far less interesting than his pre-war civilian job. Back then, he spent the majority of his time coaching a little football team by the name of Ohio State. Needless to say, there was a major shift in energy and interest from the Bluejackets leading up to the ‘44 season, and Parseghian was arguably the most excited. He quickly proved himself to Coach Brown and was named the starting fullback for the upcoming season. In a turn of events that would ripple through college football history in a way no one could’ve predicted, Parseghian suffered a freak ankle injury that sidelined him for the entire year.  Understandably devastated and disappointed, Parseghian found his world turned upside down, and his golden opportunity suddenly gone. He had but two options: either fall to his present circumstances or rise to meet the occasion. In what would become a lifelong trend, Parseghian chose to push through his adversity and overcome it, channeling his raw emotions and passion into studied observation, carefully absorbing as much wisdom from Coach Brown as possible. Ara was heavily influenced by Brown’s approach to discipline, leadership, and player connection, now in a position on the sidelines and out of the action to observe it all from a fresh perspective. By the end of the year, the Bluejackets scraped together a solid (9-2-1) record and finished at #17 in the AP, while Parseghian gained one of the most influential mentors of his life. Following the war’s end in 1945, Parseghian was discharged from the Navy and enrolled at the University of Miami, Ohio. Ara continued his athletic prowess for the Miami Redskins, becoming a varsity Letterman in football, baseball, and basketball. He was named the starting halfback in 1946, voted captain of the football team in 1947, and was selected in the 1948 NFL draft in the 13th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Simultaneously, the 3-sport athlete was finishing up his baseball season while being scouted by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ultimately, the Cleveland Browns of the AAFC (All-American Football Conference) won out and secured Parseghian’s services over finishing his studies. The 1948 Browns were led by their first-ever head coach, former Great Lakes Navy and Ohio State head coach Paul Brown, who was the team’s namesake. In his first season with Cleveland, they finished (14–0–0) and won the AAFC championship over the Bills (49–7). Ara played both sides of the ball as a halfback and cornerback, and finished his first professional season with 12 games played, 1  start, 32 rushes for 135 yards, 2 passes for 31 yards, 2 punt returns for 41 yards, 1 interception returned for 56 yards, 1 rushing touchdown, and 1 passing touchdown. It was enough to earn him the Browns’ rookie of the year award, but the ever-grounded Parseghian still lived at home with his family while commuting to Cleveland for his new job. In the second game of the Browns’ 1949 season, Parseghian suffered a hip injury that ended his season early, but Cleveland went on to finish (9-1-2) and beat the 49ers (21-7) in the AAFC championship. The injured hip would formally end Ara’s career, and he pivoted his focus to a new arena—coaching. Ara was profoundly affected by the time he spent with Brown on the sidelines of college football, in the military ranks, and in the spotlight of professional ball, and he carried these lessons forward into his coaching career. His first job sent him back to Miami as an assistant, but he assumed the role of head coach after just a single season. The 1951 Miami Redskins finished with a solid (7-3) record, beating Witchita, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Ohio, Buffalo, Dayton, and Western Reserve. Their only losses came against Xavier, Marquette, and arch-rival Cincinnati, but the Skins finished 2nd in the MAC. The 1952 Miami squad improved to (8-1), winning 8 straight before falling to Cincinnati once again. Miami played nearly the same schedule in 1953, but finished with a marginally worse (7-1-1) record, this time tying Ohio before their 3rd straight loss to Cincy in the season finale.  Everything came together for Ara and the Redskins in 1954, winning 6-straight games against their usual opponents, until they travelled to face Indiana for Parseghian’s greatest challenge yet. It was his very first time coaching against a BIG 10 team, and the two sides fought tooth and nail in a brutal, scoreless grind before a chance Hoosiers’ fumble set the Redskins up for a passing touchdown. It turned out to be the game’s only points, and Miami walked away with a statement (6-0) upset win. After a late loss to Dayton, Ara and Miami hit the road for Cincy, and capped off their illustrious campaign with a very well-deserved (21-7) beatdown of the Bearcats. They finished (8-1), winninig Ara’s first MAC title and securring his first win over the Redskins’ biggest foe to put the up and coming coach on the national stage. Things only improved in 1955, as Miami kicked off the season with a stunning (25-14) road win over the Big 10’s Northwestern, setting a 9-game season-long win streak in motion. They finished undefeated at (9-0), with a 2nd BIG 10 victory and a MAC Championship repeat. Parseghian’s unprecedented success over blue-chip opponents with a small-time squad like Miami (OH) shot his name to the top of the coaching carousel and began an eventful offseason of negotiations. He was enticed to Northwestern amidst a complete staffing and upper brass overhaul following years of underachievement, and he saw it as the next logical step in his career path - a bigger stage, more talent, tougher competition. The upstart head coach accepted the job without ever visiting campus, and at 32 years old, became the youngest head coach in the Big Ten. Northwestern posted back-to-back outings of (2-7) and (0-8-1) before thoroughly clearing house, and upon his arrival, Ara was expected to kick off a completely new “era” for the Wildcats. 1956 began with a razor-thin (14-13) win over Iowa State before the Wildcats fell to unranked Tulane in week 2. This began a bit of a slide for Parseghian’s new team, who went on to tie #17 Minnesota, before dropping 3 straight games to #8 Michigan, unranked Indiana, and a (2-6) nail-biting loss to #6 Ohio State. Thankfully, the Wildcats closed out their season with 3 straight wins over Wisconsin, Purdue, and Illinois to finish the season (4–4-1). In his first year coaching top-level ball, Parseghian put up his first-ever non-winning season and hoped to correct course quickly. Unfortunately, things would get worse before they got better, and 1957 saw the Wildcats take another step back by losing all 9 games. They lost nearly every game by massive margins, only managing to keep one contest to single digits. They were shut out completely 3 times, and fell to #9 Oregon State, #4 Minnesota, #18 Michigan, #3 Iowa, and #8 Ohio State.  After taking a step back in his first two seasons, Parseghian’s Northwestern team began the 1958 season with a stellar 4-game win streak, complete with their very first win over a ranked team under Ara. The Wildcats rose to #17 in the polls before their matchup against #19 Michigan, and they pulled off a resounding (55–24) win. The monumental upset shot Northwestern up to #8 in the polls, their first top-10 ranking since 1950. Unfortunately, they lost their 5th game of the season to #7 Iowa, and dropped from 8th to 11th in the AP poll. They rebounded the following week against #5 Ohio State, topping the Buckeyes for the first time since 1948 (21–0). Now (5-1 )and #4 in the country, the Wildcats faced back-to-back ranked opponents, #7 Wisconsin and #8 Purdue, before closing the season out against unranked Illinois. Unfortunately, it was a tale of two streaks in 1958: 4 straight wins to start the season, followed by 3 consecutive losses. Northwestern finished Parseghian’s 3rd season with a respectable, if slightly disappointing, (5–4) final record. Even with the late-season slide, the Wildcats finished at #20 in the rankings, their first ranked season finish since 1948.  Things continued to improve for Northwestern in 1959, beginning the season at #10 in the polls with increasing promise on the horizon. They opened things up as underdogs against then #2 Oklahoma, who went (10-1) with an Orange Bowl win just the year before. The confident yet outmatched Wildcats shocked the nation by pummeling the Sooners (45-13). It shot Northwestern up to #2 in the AP, lining up a heavyweight showdown in just their second game of the year against #5 Iowa. Against all odds, Northwestern went on the road to Iowa City and beat their 2nd top-5 opponent in as many weeks (14–10). These two games fueled Northwestern to an extra 4-game win streak, including a massive (30–24) victory in South Bend against the Fighting Irish. As the Wildcats entered their 7th contest of the season against #9 Wisconsin, they were (6–0) and still the #2 team in the country. It was then that the Cinderella story stopped, and Wisconsin outlasted Parseghian’s surging Cats (24-19). It was a heartbreaker, but only dropped them back to #6 in the polls with a chance to respond against #19 Michigan State the following week. Unfortunately, the Wisconsin loss seemed to linger in the team’s head, and the Wildcats dropped their second straight game, this time to the Spartans (10–15). The Wildcats continued to slide and dropped their last game of the season to unranked Illinois to finish with a respectable (6-3) record. It was exactly what Northwestern was looking for when they hired the young upstart coach away from Miami, and all eyes looked to 1960 for the team’s follow-up.  Northwestern began 1960 at #14 in the polls, along with a comfortable road win over Oklahoma (19–3) that pushed them to #6. With the team’s hype at a fever pitch, the Wildcats returned home to host #8 Iowa for the home opener and hoped to take what everyone expected to be their “next step,” but the Hawkeyes had other plans. In front of a packed home crowd, Parseghian and his side were utterly dismantled by Iowa, falling by an embarrassing (0-42) mark. The shocking loss began a 3-game slide, as the Wildcats went on to drop back-to-back games against #14 Minnesota and Michigan, knocking them out of the top 25 altogether. It was then that Northwestern’s attention shifted from this rough patch to their next opponent - Joe Kuharich and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Parseghian managed to right the ship and pulled off a narrow (7–6) victory over the Irish, his 2nd straight win against the national powerhouse, which looked to be amidst a precipitous fall to the bottom.  Northwestern used that momentum to add two more wins to their name, besting Indiana and Wisconsin before falling again, this time to #13 Michigan State (18-21). They won their final game of the season against Illinois (14–7) to finish a disappointing (5–4) campaign. While a step back from the year before, the 1960 Wildcats still secured marquee victories over blue-chip programs like Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Indiana, and Wisconsin. (5–4) wasn’t particularly good for the average BIG 10 team, but for Northwestern, this was a level of consistency and competitiveness they had rarely achieved. 1961 started strong with wins over Boston College and Illinois before the Wildcats dropped their first game of the season to Minnesota, falling (3–10). They faced #7 Ohio State the following week,  but lost for the second time (0–10), sinking to (2–2) on the year. For the third straight season, Northwestern faced off with Notre Dame, now #8, and yet again shocked the nation by stealing the win, this time (12–10) in South Bend. The first two seasons could easily be written off as struggling years for the Irish, but in 1961, a loss to an unranked, struggling Northwestern team was a death knell. Northwestern beat Indiana the following week before another 3-game skid against Wisconsin, #9 Michigan, and Miami, dropping all three games to finish at a disappointing (4–5). Just as all hope seemed gone, Parseghian’s 1962 team responded.  They began the season with 3 straight wins over South Carolina, Illinois, and Minnesota, launching them all the way up to #8 in the polls before their heavyweight showdown against #6 Ohio State. Despite opening the game with a (14-0) 1st quarter deficit, the Wildcats held OSU scoreless in the 2nd half, and outlasted the Buckeyes (18–14), pushing them up to #3 in the country. The following week brought a familiar foe, Notre Dame, to town again, and Parseghian’s Wildcats ran away with a (35–6) victory. For the first time in Ara’s career, Northwestern secured the #1 spot in the AP poll and beat Indiana for their 6th straight victory. The streak ended only a week later, as #8 Wisconsin proved too much for the surging Wildcats, and they dropped their first game of the season (6-37). The Wisconsin hangover stuck around and bled into their next game against Michigan State. Northwestern never stood a chance, as the Spartans raced to a (7-31) victory that knocked the Wildcats out of the top-25 completely. They ended on a high note with a win over Miami (FL) to finish (7-2), their best record of the Parseghian era. 1963 brought Northwestern the respect they were owed, starting the season at #6 in the country before securing back-to-back wins over Missouri and Indiana. Unfortunately, they lost a (9–10) heartbreaker to Illinois, which halted their early-season rise before posting back-to-back wins against Minnesota in Miami, which sent them up to #9 in the polls. Unfortunately, the Wildcats once again failed to finish strong. They dropped 3 late-season games in a row, falling to Michigan State, Michigan, and Wisconsin before closing the season with a (17-8) road victory over Ohio State. Although a step back from this season before, 3/5 of Northwestern’s losses came by just one score, meaning just 15 points separated them from another (7–2) season.  Following the conclusion of the 1963 season, Parseghian and Northwestern’s athletics department arrived at an impasse. The two weren’t seeing eye to eye on the financial resources allocated to the program, a decline in available football scholarships, and increasingly unrealistic academic standards. This rift had been forming for years, but finally came to a head after Parseghian led the team to its best record of his tenure. Surprisingly, the athletic director informed Parseghian that the University would not renew his contract after its expiration.  As Parseghian’s time with the Wildcats was coming to an end, Notre Dame was wrapping up its 1963 season with an embarrassing loss to Syracuse at Yankee Stadium and the firing of then-head coach Hugh Devore. With the position now open, Ara contacted Father Joyce about his interest in the job, left a message, and hopped on a plane to Miami, Florida, looking to toss his hat in the ring for the Hurricanes’ head coaching spot. On his stopover in St. Louis, Parseghian received word that Father Joyce had returned his call and requested a meeting. As legend has it, Ara skipped his flight to the Sunshine State and flew back to Chicago. He met with Father Joyce the following day, and within two weeks, Athletic Director Moose Krause announced that Northwestern’s Ara Parseghian would become the next head coach at the University of Notre Dame.  Parseghian had grown up in the heart of the Midwest and had known plenty about the fighting Irish of Notre Dame. It was a time when college football was the national fascination, and Notre Dame’s legendary Knute Rockne was a household figure, especially to young catholic boys playing football in the Midwest. Ironically, one of Akron South High School’s yearbook superlatives for 1942 was “Destined to become head football coach at Notre Dame,” and who other than Ara Parseghian would be its recipient, as if some other force had preordained it. Parseghian finished with a (36-35-1) record over 8 seasons with Northwestern, turning a perennial bottom-feeder into a respectable BIG 10 Adversary.  Parseghian arrived in South Bend for the 1964 season and inherited a dismal (2-7) team from the year before, and a program without a winning season in 6 years or a consensus National Championship in 15. When first meeting the players, coach Parseghian handed out playbooks with handwritten letters to each inside. He congratulated them, but ended each note with the same quote: “We have no breaking point.” The Irish began the season unranked, but moved up to the #9 spot quickly after a statement road win against Wisconsin (31-7), where Notre Dame’s defense set a single-game school record with -51 rushing yards allowed and 270 yards for 2 touchdowns from John Huarte. After winning the very first game of his Notre Dame career, Parseghian’s players carried him off the field in celebration, marking the beginning of a storied chapter in the program’s history. From here, the Irish would work their way up the rankings, adding 5 more wins before earning the #1 spot in the polls, and a rivalry match against Pitt. Despite a close game, Parseghian’s squad would pull out a (17-15) victory on the road to stay perfect and push their record to (7-0).   After two more wins, including their 3rd shutout of the season, the (9-0) Irish traveled to Los Angeles to face USC, looking to finish perfect. The Irish jumped out to a (17-0) lead going into halftime, but went scoreless in the second half, giving up 20 unanswered points capped off by a touchdown in the final 1:30 of the game, ultimately losing (17-20). The disappointment was palpable as the rags-to-riches story of redemption for the Irish suddenly ended. Despite the disappointing finale, the 1964 season restored hope to the Irish faithful. A (9-1) record and a #3 final ranking, highlighted by John Huarte’s Heisman Trophy-winning campaign, earned the Irish National Title consideration from three polls (the NFF, Football News, and Devold) despite their late-season loss. Following the conclusion of the regular season, the AP and Coaches polls would name the Bear Bryant-led Alabama Crimson Tide as National Champions. However, Bama went on to lose its Orange Bowl matchup with the Texas Longhorns (17-21). The Irish were awarded the “MacArthur Bowl” for their efforts - an award created in recognition of the late General MacArthur, traditionally presented to the top-ranked college football team in the country. Regardless, Notre Dame does not recognize the 1964 season as an official National Title-winning campaign. John Huarte graduated, leaving the Irish in a position to prove the doubters wrong and show that the prior season was no fluke. Of the 3 blemishes on their resume, the loss to the #1 Michigan State Spartans left the Irish with a bitter taste in their mouth. With the surprising success of the 1964 season, Parseghian’s second Irish squad began the year at #3. They pummeled Cal (48-6) for a statement season opener on the road, earning them the #1 spot in the polls and a marquee matchup against the #6 Purdue Boilermakers. Unlike his first season, Parseghian’s team would falter early, falling to Purdue in the second game of their season (21-25), dropping the Irish seven spots to #8. Following the loss, the Irish would post 6 straight wins, including Parseghian’s first win against #4 USC. The Trojans were led by the eventual 1965 Heisman winner, running back Mike Garrett, but the Irish defense handed him his worst outing of the year. Garrett was held to a season low 43 rushing yards while Notre Dame’s fullback Larry Conjar plowed ahead for 116 yards and 3 scores. The Irish secured a (28-7) triumph, avenging their Trojan-spoiled consensus title from the year before while replacing USC at #4 in the polls. Unfortunately, the Irish would lose their 9th game of the season against Michigan State (3-12) and tie Miami in the season finale. Despite nearly doubling the Hurricanes’ offensive production and never letting them get past the ND 42-yard line, the Irish failed to convert two short field goals and ultimately ended the game in a (0-0) stalemate. The Irish finished (7-2-1) and fell to #9 in the polls at season’s end. Following the disappointment of the 1965 season, Parseghian and his team looked to redeem themselves and began his 3rd campaign at #8. Week 1 brought #7 Purdue to South Bend, and the NCAA’s new Broadcasting partnership with ABC had just been inked, making this in-state rivalry the deal’s first game on national television. Purdue entered with Heisman candidate QB Bob Griese, who carried the Boilermakers to an upset win over the Irish the season before, and the spotlight was bright for this top-10 showdown. Things began poorly for the Irish, coughing up the ball on a bobbled pitch at the Boilermakers’ 7-yard line and allowing Purdue to return it the length of the field to score the game’s first points. This could have been a gut punch for a lesser coach and a weaker team, but the Irish wasted no time in responding. On the following kickoff, running back Nick Eddy fielded the ball at the 3, following blockers down the dead center of the field, straight through the middle of the scrum. Impossibly, Eddy broke out the other side completely untouched, and into the clear, separating himself completely and tying the game (7-7). The Irish eventually pulled away to win (26-14), fueled by 3 touchdown passes between the classic duo of Terry Hanratty and Jim Seymour. Seymour caught 13 of Hanratty’s 16 passes for a still-standing Notre Dame receiving record of 276 yards in a single game. Parseghian’s boys never looked back, winning 3 more games to become (4-0) and earn the #1 spot before another top-10 matchup against #10 Oklahoma. The Irish traveled to Norman and in front of more than 60,000 fans, destroyed the Sooners (38-0.) Notre Dame dominated on both sides of the ball, grinding the Sooners defense into dust with 5 rushing touchdowns in just 2 quarters of play, and the Irish defense posted their 3rd shutout of the season. From then on out, the 1966 Irish never looked back, beating Navy, Pitt, and Duke to become (8-0). #1 Notre Dame headed to East Lansing to face off against the #2 Michigan State Spartans, with only one team able to leave the stadium as the unquestionable best in the country. Chilling winter weather and frosts carried into Michigan as the Irish hit the road, and Star Irish RB Nick Eddy slipped and fell while deboarding the train in East Lansing, aggravating a nearly recovered shoulder injury that sidelined him for what many considered the most anticipated game in recent memory. Gameday was a daunting 30ºF, and players succumbed to a brutal back-and-forth likened to trench warfare. It was a slugfest from the start, and neither team was able to gain much of a foothold, ending the first quarter at a scoreless draw. The Irish quickly lost momentum when star quarterback Terry Hanratty was sacked by Bubba Smith, knocking him out of the game and forcing in backup Coley O’Brien. The Spartans methodically drove the length of the field for an eventual 5-yard rushing touchdown to get on the board first. After failing to respond, the Irish allowed Michigan State to March back into scoring territory and surrendered a field goal to increase the deficit to 10. With time running out in the first half, Parseghian’s boys struck back with a beautiful 34-yard touchdown pass from O’Brien, just over the outstretched arms of a Spartan defender. Halftime arrived with Michigan State up (10–7), but the game was still completely within reach for both.  Early in the third quarter, the Spartans fumbled deep in their territory and allowed the Irish to take the lead. Almost immediately, the Irish gave the ball back on an interception from O’Brien, but were able to tie the game with a field goal of their own just as the 4th quarter began. On the ensuing series, Michigan State tossed a second interception, giving the Irish a 41-yard field goal with under five minutes left to play. As the kick soared towards the uprights, it faded to the right and ultimately missed by just a few inches, leaving the game deadlocked at (10-10). The Irish defense forced a Michigan State punt, and Notre Dame got the ball back on its own 30-yard line with 1:24 left to play. Michigan State had all three timeouts left, so Parseghian called their bluff and ran the ball four straight times. This included a back-breaking fourth-down conversion run that forced the Spartans to begin using their timeouts. With time left to play, the Irish drop back for a pass, but we’re sacked, causing the clock to run out in the game to end in a historic (10-10) tie.  In a way, the quality of both teams’ performance and the unsatisfying tie both supported and obscured the notion that these were hands-down the two best teams in the nation. Fans from both sides were left in disagreement, unsure whether or not everything had been done to secure a victory in the games’ waning moments. In actuality, Parseghian and the Irish had done everything in their power to make a historic comeback and even tie the game in the first place, and at that point, they were hoping not to give the Spartans a chance to beat them. Many advocates point to Notre Dame’s final play call with 10 seconds remaining, electing to drop back and throw the ball in an apparent attempt to score and win. Both Notre Dame and Michigan State remained #1 and #2 in the polls, respectively, holding off 2-time defending national champions Alabama, who finished (11-0-0) that year behind Bear Bryant. Whatever way you spin it, this regular-season game is being discussed nearly 60 years later. The Irish managed to tie a team with 3 of the top 5 picks in the following year’s NFL draft (Jordan Webster, Bubba Smith, Clinton Jones) without their starting quarterback, running back, and All-American center George Goeddeke. After the infamous tie, Notre Dame finished off their season with a statement road win over #10 USC, thrashing them (51-0) for the single largest loss in Trojan football history to this day. Notre Dame finished (9-0-1) and shared that year’s MacArthur Bowl with Michigan State. In his 3rd season, Ara Parseghian led the Irish to their 1st National Title while earning the program its 8th. Notre Dame’s National Champion status was further bolstered by their ridiculous 362–38 scoring margin over opponents, alongside a defense that posted 6 shutouts, with only a single team scoring more than 1 touchdown. To this day, the 1966 team is considered one of the most talented in program history. Following their nearly perfect 1966 showing, Parseghian’s 1967 Fighting Irish started the season at #1 against Cal, easily dispatching the Golden Bears (41–8) in their home opener. The following week, the Irish hit the road for West Lafayette, Indiana, to face off against longtime rival #10 Purdue. The boilermakers struck first, but the Irish responded shortly after, tying things up (7–7) before the half. Both sides traded blows, going into the fourth quarter, and with only a few minutes remaining, the game was tied up (21–21). Unfortunately, the boiler makers tossed a 21-yard touchdown late in the 4th to take a (28-21) lead. The Irish were unable to respond and dropped their first game of the season in just the second week. Now (1-1) and #6 in the polls, the Irish welcomed Iowa to South Bend the following week, and responded by embarrassing them (56–6). The Irish moved up to #5 before welcoming #1 USC to town for another chance at redemption. Unfortunately, things went sideways quickly, and the Irish dropped their 2nd of the last 4 games, falling (7–24) to their most prestigious rival. With the season seemingly lost, the Irish dropped out of the rankings altogether, and we’re written off by most. Surprisingly, they finished with 6 straight wins, besting Illinois, Michigan, State Navy, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, and Miami to finish the season (8–2). It was a letdown compared to the year prior, but a strong late-season rebound and final ranking of #6 boded well for the future.  The Irish began 1968 at #3 in the polls, kicking off the season with a showdown in South Bend against #5 Oklahoma. It was a competitive first half, with the Irish only up (21-14), but they pulled away in the second half, running away with it (45–21). The impressive showing and return to form pushed the Irish to #2 in the country, and lined up yet another head-to-head showdown with #1 Purdue. Like the year before, the Irish could not get past the Boilermakers and played nearly the entire game from behind. They ultimately lost (22–37), but only dropped to #5 in the rankings. From there, Parseghian led his boys to three 3-straight wins over Iowa, Northwestern, and Illinois. The streak came to an end the following week when the Irish headed back to East Lansing to face now unranked Michigan State in a rivalry game that had all the makings of a trap. And indeed, a trap it was, with the Irish losing a (17–21) heartbreaker that knocked them back to #12. Both coach and team channeled the letdown and disappointment into another 3 straight wins over Navy, Pitt, and Georgia Tech before hitting the road for #2 USC. Notre Dame jumped out to a quick (21–7) halftime lead, but went scoreless in the second half, allowing the Trojans to tie the game (21–21). Neither side was able to secure the victory, and the Irish finished the year with a bitter tie and a (7-2-1) record.  After 44 seasons of a self-imposed postseason bowl ban, Notre Dame‘s athletics department formally ended this policy in 1969 and became eligible to play an 11th game. The Irish began at #11 in the polls, facing off against none other than Northwestern, hoping to improve over the last two seasons. The Irish crushed the Wildcats in their home opener (35–10), but once again dropped their second game to now #16 Purdue (14–28), sending the Irish out of the rankings entirely. Parseghian’s squad responded with back-to-back wins, besting #14 Michigan State (42–28) and shutting out Army (45–0). It earned them a spot at #11 before their matchup against #3 USC. Both teams went scoreless in the first half and, for the second straight season, finished with a tie, this time (14–14). Now (3-1-1), things were looking a heck of a lot like the disappointing season of late, and Ara was beginning to feel a lot more eyes on him. Ironically, winning a championship and achieving success so early ended up hurting him later on when he failed to follow the same trajectory. With their backs against the wall, Parseghian and the Irish responded once again, winning five straight games against Tulane, Navy, Pitt, Georgia Tech, and Air Force. They finished the season (8-1-1) and #9 in their polls to earn a spot in the Cotton Bowl Classic against the #1 Texas Longhorns. The Irish struck first with a field goal, and both teams traded touchdowns in the second, giving Notre Dame a (10–7) lead going into the half. Neither team was able to put up any points in the third, and everything came down to the game’s final quarter. Unfortunately, the Irish could only add one more touchdown to their score and gave two up to the Longhorns, losing (17-21) in their first official postseason bowl. It was another solid showing from Ara and the Irish, but was ultimately another letdown.  The Irish began 1970 at #6 and quickly dispatched Northwestern, Purdue, Michigan State, and Army to become the #3 team in the country at (4-0). Parseghian led his boys on the road to Columbia, MO, to face their biggest test yet - #18 Missouri. Thankfully, the #3 Irish didn’t slow their roll, and easily took care of the Tigers (24–7). They continued with 3 straight wins over Navy, Pitt, and Georgia Tech before welcoming that year’s SEC champs, #7 LSU, to South Bend. It was Notre Dame’s first-ever SEC opponent, and everyone was looking for fireworks. Well, they watched the wrong game, as the defenses stole the show and neither offense got much going. The Irish knocked through a late field goal for the game’s only points and snuck away with a narrow (3-0) victory. In their final game of the regular season, the Fighting Irish hit the road for Los Angeles but lost (28-38) for the lone blemish on their schedule. Notre Dame finished the season (9-1) and #6 in the rankings, and secured a rematch in the Cotton Bowl Classic from the year before, against now #1 Texas.  The Longhorns were undefeated, the reigning National Champions, and amidst a 30-game win streak, but the Irish had revenge, nay - redemption on their mind. Texas struck first, knocking in a field goal on their first drive, but the Irish followed with a 26-yard passing touchdown from Theismann to Thom Gatewood to take the lead. The Irish got the ball back and extended their lead with a 3-yard rushing touchdown from none other than Theismann, capping off a 13-yard drive on a short field. The Irish piled on with another Theismann rushing score and a field goal just before half, while the Longhorns could only muster a single touchdown. Ara had devised what he called the “mirror defense” to counter the prolific Longhorns’ triple-option, and it likely won them the game. By the end of the day, the Irish defense had forced 9 Texas fumbles and recovered 5. The halftime score was (24–11), and that’s precisely where it would stay, as neither team scored again in the second half, and the Irish won their very first postseason bowl. In one of the most notable moments of Ara’s coaching career, his players celebrated the victory by hoisting their beloved coach onto their shoulders and carrying him off the field. The iconic moment was immortalized in photographs, recording the depth and love between a coach and his players. This success was also shared by individual achievers, with Irish QB Joe Theismann capping off an excellent season with 3 touchdowns against Texas and a 2nd place finish in the Heisman Trophy race, just behind eventual winner Jim Plunkett of Stanford. The Irish began the season all the way up at #2 in the rankings and were primed to have another excellent outing. They came out of the gates hot with 5-straight wins, starting with Northwestern, then Purdue, Miami, and finally North Carolina. As they had many times before, the Irish prepared to face off with arch-rival USC in the middle of the season, hoping not to let them stop another Irish Championship sprint. USC struck first, going 31 yards through the air for a score, but the Irish responded on the very next drive to tie things up (7–7). The Tide officially turned on the next series, as the Trojans showed little trouble getting around the Irish defense. USC scored a second straight first-quarter touchdown, and the game never fell out of their control. They were able to hold the Irish to that single touchdown until late in the 4th quarter, when the game was already decided. Ultimately, USC once again ended Notre Dame‘s pursuit of an undefeated, untied season with a (14–28) win. Now, (5-1) and #12, Ara and the Irish dispatched Navy, Pitt, and Tulane before their final test of the season, #14 LSU. It wasn’t much of a contest, as the Tigers took a (10–0) halftime lead and never looked back, continually scoring and stopping the Irish all the way until 2:45 in the 4th, when the Irish finally scored via a 7-yard touchdown pass to Thom Gatewood. Ultimately, the game was decided early, and the Irish fell (8–28). It was a bitter end to an above-average season, but the University announced that it would not participate in any bowl games following the LSU loss.  Looking to improve over a poor end to 1971, the 1972 Fighting Irish started out at #13 and won four-straight games against Northwestern, Purdue, Michigan State, and Pitt, before falling to the #8 Missouri Tigers at home (26-30). Once again, Parseghian’s squad fell victim to its midseason slump and let yet another easy game get the better of them. They bounced back with 4 straight wins over TCU, Navy, and Miami before hitting the road for Los Angeles. The Irish crept back into the rankings at #10 when they faced the Trojans, who were far and away the #1 team in the country. Parseghian and his Irish fell to the Trojans for the third straight year, this time by an embarrassing (23–45) mark. Despite finishing with an (8-2) record and #12 in the rankings, the Irish still qualified for a postseason game, and they matched up with the #9 Nebraska in that year’s Orange Bowl. In arguably the most embarrassing postseason game of Parseghian’s career, the Cornhuskers utterly destroyed Notre Dame (6–40) in front of 80,000 fans in Miami. Three total losses, two back-to-back to close out the season, and one of those being a postseason game, was an unexpected step back from 71. With eight seasons in South Bend under his belt, many began to wonder how much longer Ara would don the blue and gold.  The #8 Fighting Irish began their season on a high note, crushing Northwestern at home (44-0) before things got a little closer against Purdue and Michigan State. Notre Dame squeezed by with (20-7) and (14–10) wins, respectively, followed by their second defensive shutout against Rice, (28-0). The following week, the Irish offense had its chance to shine by beating the brakes off Army (62–3).  Once again, the (5–0) Irish prepared to host #6 USC, smack dab in the middle of their schedule, right where they had tripped up so many times before. The Trojans went undefeated and won the National Title just the year before, and were looking to continue their current 23-game winning streak behind star running back Anthony Davis and future NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Lynn Swann. The Irish were led by a four-prong rushing attack, comprised of star fullback Wayne Bullock, halfbacks Eric Penick and Art Best, and the conductor, quarterback Tom Clements. Notre Dame struck first with an early field goal, but the Trojans responded quickly with a touchdown to take the lead.  Despite adding another field goal in the 2nd quarter, the Irish were still down a point, but got the ball back just before the half. They marched the length of the field and rushed for their first touchdown of the day with just 00:30 seconds left on the clock to take a (13-7) lead. Thankfully, the Irish were getting the ball to start the 3rd quarter and were in an excellent position to pad their score. After USC pinned the Irish at their own 15, Notre Dame played it safe and handed the ball off to halfback Eric Pennick, who motioned from the outside. Once he took the handoff, Pennick followed two blockers in front of him, who opened things up long enough for him to reach that next level speed. Just as he took off, Pennick broke a tackle and bounced to the outside, breaking one more tackle before flying down the field for an 85-yard score. USC narrowed the gap with a touchdown from Lynn Swann, but the Irish kicked another field goal to go up (23-14). They held the Trojans scoreless in the 4th and held on for the win. While the offense outperformed expectations, the Irish defense completely shut down one of the most prolific offenses in the country. USC’s Anthony Davis was held to just 55 rushing yards on 19 carries, a far cry from his 6-touchdown performance over Notre Dame the year before, while Eric Penick finished with 118 yards and a touchdown. It was the first time Parseghian had beaten USC since 1966, and only his second time in 10 seasons at Notre Dame. Now #5 in the polls, Parseghian’s squad continued their undefeated season with a (44-7) win over Navy and a (31-10) road victory over #20 Pitt. Neither win moved the Irish up the polls, even after back-to-back wins over Air Force and Miami; the Irish were stuck at #5 as the regular season came to a close. Thankfully, Notre Dame finished undefeated and untied for the first time in Parseghian’s tenure, and earned a shot at the National Title against the #1, undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide. This head-to-head saw the two best undefeated squads in the country face off, with the winner earning the title of National Champion. The Irish were considered underdogs, but scored on their opening drive with a Wayne Bullock rush. Unfortunately, they missed the PAT, allowing USC to take the lead (7-6) only a few plays later with a touchdown of their own. That lead lasted until the next play, when Notre Dame’s freshman running back Al Hunter fielded the ball at the 7, and exploded for a 93-yard touchdown. After a successful 2-point conversion, the Irish took their 2nd lead of the day (14-7). The Tide trimmed the deficit to (10-14) as the game entered halftime, but answered with a 93-yard touchdown drive on their first possession of the 3rd quarter to regain the lead (17-14). The lead changed again in the 3rd quarter, with Notre Dame’s Eric Penick barreling for a 12-yard score to put the Irish up (21-17).  The 4th quarter saw three straight turnovers, leading to a 25-yard Bama touchdown pass to regain the lead (23-21) with under 10 minutes to play. Crucially, the Tide missed their extra point, allowing a field goal to potentially win the game. Irish QB Tom Clements led his offense on an 11-play drive that chewed up more than 5 minutes of clock, and ended with the go-ahead field goal and 6th lead change of the contest. Notre Dame’s defense forced a Bama punt, but the offense was pinned deep with only a few minutes left to play. Tom Clements sealed the game with a deep 1st down conversion to his tight end, Robin Weber, allowing the Irish to burn the remaining clock and steal a (24-23) victory. The win gave the Irish the #1 spot in the AP’s final poll of 1973, and earned the program its 9th title, and Parseghian’s 2nd. Notre Dame and Alabama’s Sugar Bowl bout became an instant classic and is still widely considered one of the greatest college football games ever played. Fresh off their second national championship, objectively the most successful season for Notre Dame in Parseghian’s tenure, expectations remained high for the preseason #3 Irish to repeat. They started strong with two road victories, first over Georgia Tech (31–7) and Northwestern (49-3). In game three of the 1974 season, the Irish welcomed routine party spoiler Purdue to South Bend, who once again supplied an early gut-punch, running away with a (20–31) win. The Irish were knocked back to number seven in the rankings, but won their next 7 games over Michigan State, Rice, Army, Miami, Navy, #17 Pitt, and Air Force to become (10-1) and #5 in the polls. Like many times before, the Irish headed to California to end their regular season against USC. The #6 Trojans upset Ara and his boys, separating themselves for a confident (55-24) win to formally drive the nail through what many had hoped would be a very different kind of season.  With the year now over, rumors began to swirl that Ara was considering a move to a different program or possibly a professional team. Instead, after the conclusion of the 1974 season, coach Parseghian formally announced his intent to retire from the great game. The 51-year-old cited his declining health, familial obligations, and his sister’s illness as reasons for resigning, looking to spend more time with his family after 25 years of football and 11 seasons in South Bend. His final game was appropriately against Notre Dame’s opponent from the year before, now #2 and undefeated Alabama, led by the legendary Bear Bryant.  The Irish entered the contest as underdogs, double digits in some predictions, but while they may have lost their shot at the title, there was just enough left in the tank to play spoiler. They started strong with back-to-back touchdowns, but missed the second PAT for a (13-3) lead heading into the half. Alabama’s prolific wishbone offense struggled to move the ball effectively against the Irish run defense and resorted to desperate passes. They were able to connect on a 48-yard bomb late in the 4th quarter and, after a 2-point conversion, were down just 2 points (11-13). The Tide had the ball as time ticked down, only needing a field goal to steal the game. Still unable to muster a productive running game and quickly running out of time, Bama tossed one last prayer to get into scoring position, only for Irish DB Reggie Barnett to reel it in to seal the close win. The Irish walked away with a (13-11) win and held Alabama to an abysmal 62 yards of total offense. For the very last time, Parseghian’s Boys carried him off the field - a winner, a coach, a legend.  Parseghian finished his tenure at Notre Dame with a (95–17–4) record, 2  National Titles, and 1 Heisman Trophy winner. He has the 4th most wins in program history (1. Brian Kelly - 2. Knute Rockne - 3. Frank Leahy), 3rd most championships with 2 (1. Frank Leahy - 2. Knute Rockne), and a (.836) winning percentage, good for 3rd highest amongst our top-5 coaches. Over his 11 years leading the Fighting Irish, Parseghian directly coached 25 All-Americans and, most notably, 8 college football Hall of Famers: John Huarte, Jim Lynch, Alan Page, Joe Theismann, Thomas Gatewood, Dave Casper, Ross Browner, and Ken MacAfee. In addition to his 2 consensus National Championships officially recognized by the University of Notre Dame, coach Parseghian is credited with 3 unclaimed Co-National Titles, not formally recognized by the University. If Notre Dame counted titles like the University of Alabama, the 1964, 1967, and 1970 Co-National Titles would make Ara a 5-time winner. In 2007, the University honored coach Parseghian with an honorary degree and a statue of his likeness outside the stadium commemorating the moment his players carried him off the field in Notre Dame’s win over Texas in the 1971 Cotton Bowl. Ara Parseghian passed away on August 2, 2017, with his family by his side. He was buried in the Cedar Grove Cemetery in Notre Dame, Indiana.  There are coaches on this list with more wins, more championships, and more Heisman Trophy winners than Parseghian, but somehow Ara immortalized exactly what it meant to be a Notre Dame man more than anyone else. He arrived to a team in desperate need of direction and made them believe in their own magic again. His consistency and dedication became legendary. His perseverance took him from small-time college football to the very biggest stage as a player, and then all over again restarted the process as a coach. Ara became a cornerstone of Notre Dame football, and while he enshrined himself in record books with success, it was the little moments in between that made his name. Those mundane moments of focus and tireless effort, the way he impacted his players’ lives, and made them believe in not just themselves, but something bigger than the individual. It’s those moments that echo through the program to this day. No matter the circumstances or the challenges ahead, Ara Parseghian saw opportunities where others saw only difficulties. In the words of Parseghian himself, “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which under prosperous conditions might have remained dormant.” Next Up In our next piece of this series, we’ll reveal who earned our #2 spot and explore what they did to make them such a pivotal part of Notre Dame’s coaching history. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame lacrosse's Kevin Corrigan, Chris Kavanagh, and others spoke to the media ahead of the team's Sunday matchup against Penn State in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. Photo by The Irish Tribune Here are the most important things Notre Dame men's lacrosse head coach Kevin Corrigan and senior attack Chris Kavanagh had to say to the media after the team's Wednesday practice. Head Coach Kevin Corrigan Q: Do you see any similarities in the preparation this week to which you saw a week ago? "Well, we're just getting started, really. You know, if we take the day off after the game, the day after that's a really light, slow day. So today was really our first day back at it, and we're just [going] to, in some ways, follow the script of last week that we're not going long, we're trying to go, you know, short and hard and we've played a lot of lacrosse, you know, between January 12th and now. 
So I don't think we need to, you know, drag them [the team] through the mud here. I think we just need to stay sharp and stay tight, and stay excited to play more than anything else. You want them, like relishing every day they get to play lacrosse right now, so we're not going to grind out any two-hour, three-hour practices right now." Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Q: It seems like they enjoyed last week and certainly the result. 
I mean, do you get that sense that they're pretty happy to be doing this still? "Yeah, absolutely, which is what you want. 
You know, you don't want them this time of year going "oh, man, here we go again", right? I mean, it's easy to do that. It is. 
It's a long year. But no, they're excited to be playing, thrilled that we earned another week, and excited to try one more time to do the same thing. " Q: What do you think you guys are doing really well right now? "I think the biggest thing is we played hard and we took good risks. 
We didn't play a perfect game because you can't play a risk-free game, because that's not a perfect game in our sport. You got to be more aggressive than that, right? And so you're going to make some mistakes and some things aren't going to work out, but we stayed very focused forward. 
You know, if we made a mistake we were just focused on what's the situation now? But we made some plays too, because we were playing that way." Q: Can you speak to the legacy of your former players helping the current players? 
You know, I know, Chris and Pat [Kavanagh], and then you have Liam [Entenmann] and Thomas [Ricciardelli]. "All those guys, our guys are great. They reach back and talk to our guys. 
They send them stuff. They're all over them. probably too much, I don't know. They love, you know, reaching back and talking to these guys. 
So, no, I think it's great. I think it makes our guys feel like they're part of something bigger, and then an appropriate kind of connection to those guys that have come before them. And God knows they can learn a lot from those guys. 
So hopefully they are." Q: Can we assume that [Matt] Jeffery is out again this week? "Yeah, Matt [Jeffery] is not going to play this week.." Q: 
Did you see the hustle out of this team at today's practice that you want to see at this stage of the season? "Yeah, I mean, again, we played hard. We were only at it for an hour, so I thought the guys went hard and, yeah, they're pushing. 
I think I just want to see the excitement, right? That's the only thing I asked them at the end of practice. I want to make sure every day that we're getting to do this right now, that we're excited about it, because next week you don't want to look back and go, oh, that was our last practice or that was our second to last practice. 
And you know what I mean? I mean, let's go [win] it right now that, hey, we're not going to allow that to be, because we're going to bring energy every day to what we're doing." Q: Don't take this the wrong way [media chuckles], Kevin, but at this stage in your career, do you enjoy these opportunities, maybe differently than you used to, to relish them? 
"I'd like to think I always enjoyed these opportunities. I mean, honestly, I've always felt like the job was to get your team to May and be in as good a position and as good, playing as well as you can, right? You kind of figured the team out. 
They figured themselves out, and now it's a matter of, like, how do we perform on those days? And so I've always enjoyed this time of year, you know, to be honest with you. Yeah, so, yeah, no, I enjoy it very much. 
I don't sleep a lot, but you know, I enjoy this very much." Q: What's the number one thing you've got to do against Penn State? "I think we just got to execute. 
I mean, you know, they're a very good team, they have a lot of different guys. They're not a team that relies on one or two guys on either end of the field. And so it's not kind of the focus, maybe a little bit like we had last week with their goaltending and a couple of their offensive guys, I think this is a team that's very well balanced and even their best offensive player, I think, what makes him so good is that he's not a ball dominant guy. he makes plays in a lot of different ways. 
So you have to defend him, you know, the whole time he's on the field." Senior Attack Chris Kavanagh Q: 
You're gonna miss graduation. "That's a good thing.." Q: What did you guys do well last week that you want to bring with you this week and beyond? "Um, yeah, I thought, uh, it's our energy level, especially going on the road, was very good. Um, our preparation all week was phenomenal. Every day, especially during exam weeks, you get sluggish, you're sitting in a chair all day, and I thought we brought the same energy we brought to practice on game day, so it's always hard dawn on the road, and I thought we did a great job with holding our own and obviously dominating that game." Q: Pretty confident right now? "Yeah, but it was our first day of preparation. Obviously, the guys are a little tired, but that's what comes with [it] and going into the playoffs. 
So I think, you just got to keep preparing hard." Q: Being back in the NCA tournament, it's obviously a little different. The stakes are different. 
Was it comfortable [for] you in that environment? "Yeah, like I said last week, talking to you guys, I think we've got to lean on our experience, and that's what we did. We're a veteran group. 
We know what it takes to win. We've been there. We've been to the big [stage], so I think we've got to have to [lean] on that all the way through. " Q: What do you see in Penn State? 'We haven't really watched them yet. We're going to watch them now, so we'll learn a little bit in a couple of minutes. " Q: How does that past experience help you this time of year? "Yeah, I mean, in certain situations, when you get punched in the face, especially during a playoff game, you lean on your experience. Experiences that you've had in the past and that led you to success, yeah, I think that's our motto this time of year, and that's what we would keep doing." Q: I know it's not your primary focus, but what does it mean to you to be a finalist for the Tewaaraton [Award]? Is that something you're interested in at all? 
 "Uh, no, I'm interested in winning a championship, so. That's an individual award. I want to win a team award." How do you feel about the Irish's path to a three-peat, ND Nation? Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

There's a saying in the recruiting world that goes: "The best players in Michigan come to Notre Dame," and Gregory Patrick is no exception. See how the note-worthy lineman can have a huge impact for the Fighting Irish. Photo by Gregory Patrick  The “O-Line U” conversation cannot be had without bringing up Notre Dame football. With 538 all-time NFL Draft selections, 69 have been offensive linemen, including nine in the top 10, with Joe Alt being the most recent in 2024. Not to mention, two of the Irish’s 14 Hall of Famers were on the offensive line. Gregory Patrick, a four-star offensive tackle and the number two overall offensive lineman in the 2026 class, is the latest to join the elite history of Notre Dame offensive linemen after committing to the Irish on April 13. Patrick, the highest-rated offensive linemen in the Notre Dame class, joined four-star Tyler Merrill and three-stars Ben Nichols and Sullivan Garvin in the number two overall class in the country.   Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Like Nichols and Garvin, Patrick is from Michigan and is entering his senior season at Portage Northern High School. Since joining the team in 2022, the Huskies have gone 20-11 and finished second in their conference in 2023 during his sophomore season. Standing at 6’4” and weighing 275 pounds, Patrick received offers from the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, Alabama, Penn State, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin, along with others. However, after visiting Penn State, Michigan, and Michigan State, Patrick decided South Bend was the perfect place to call home for the next three to four years.   “My mom came right out of that meeting and she was like ‘wow this is the best head coach I’ve probably spoken to,” said Patrick about Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman in an interview with 247 Sports. “He backs up everything he talks about. He is truly what he preaches.”   His father, Joseph Patrick, played football at Michigan State during his college years after committing to the Spartans in 1999. Although it was Joseph’s dream for his son to play with the Spartans, Gregory spoke fondly of how important his father was during his recruitment process.   “It was his dream for me to play at Michigan State,” Gregory said in an interview with 247 Sports, “As we went through the recruitment process, he kind of realized that Notre Dame was the best fit for me in the end.”   Joseph, who has been Gregory’s offensive line coach for much of his life, is willing to take a backseat. When it comes to Notre Dame’s offensive line coach, Joe Rudolph. After meeting with Rudolph and breaking down film from his junior year of high school, Gregory was amazed.   “It was really detailed stuff,” Patrick said in an interview with 247 Sports. “He was picking up some things that I hadn’t really heard a lot.”   Patrick’s film speaks for itself as he remains one of, if not the most, versatile offensive linemen in the class. His big frame allows him to play both sides of the line. Although he predominantly plays tackle, Patrick can slide inside and play guard as well, which is going to be one of his best traits when he steps on campus. He’s demonstrated great skills at the line of scrimmage, while also getting up the field and blocking undersized defenders in the screen game. Patrick does a solid job of staying within himself and doesn’t overextend to reach defenders off the edge while also keeping his feet square. Most offensive linemen are either good at pass blocking and need help in the run game, or vice versa. However, Patrick excels at both, keeping his quarterback clean while also creating sizeable gaps for running backs. Patrick will thrive in a Notre Dame offense that consistently pulls its offensive linemen, which he has demonstrated during his three years in high school.   “I’ll start at tackle,” Patrick said in an interview with 247 Sports. “Then pretty much just wherever I’ll be able to play to win.”   Patrick also noted in that interview that he expects to start specifically at left tackle, the position he plays most at Portage Northern.   Following his recruitment, Joseph took to X to clarify exactly why his son committed to Notre Dame after reports came out that Michigan pulled out of his recruitment. “Culture, relationships, education, development, tradition…that is what drove the decision,” Joseph said in his X thread on April 15. He went on to address the allegations of Michigan pulling out, saying that if the Wolverines didn’t want him, they had a “weird strategy” of offering him and hosting him on visits. He did clarify in his post that he has the utmost respect for Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore and staff, as well as the On3 recruiting staff, “outside of one reporter” from TheWolverine.com .   Regardless of false reports, Gregory is the fourth offensive lineman in the 2026 class and will join an already stellar front. In the 2025 recruiting class, Notre Dame picked up three four-star offensive linemen in Will Black, Owen Strebig, and Cam Herron.   Notre Dame plans to stay at the forefront of the “O-Line U conversation with the last two seasons of recruiting at the position. There is plenty of talent coming in, and Patrick has the potential to be one of the best, with a ceiling that reaches far beyond a career at Notre Dame. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

With the Class of 2025 locked into their future schools, Coach Shrewsberry and the Notre Dame Men’s Basketball staff secured the fifth overall class in the country. Photo via Jalen Haralson (X, @JalenHaralson3) In a one-week span back in late September, the Irish received four four-star commitments to round out the class. This fifth-ranked class ranks second in the ACC, trailing Duke. We look at the incoming class and what they can offer in an Irish uniform: Note: All rankings according to 247 Sports Jalen Haralson Undoubtedly, the headliner of this class is the 6-7 SF from La Porte, who attended basketball powerhouse La Lumiere. The high four-star and 18th overall player in the class was named a McDonald’s All-American this year. Haralson was the second member of this class and chose the Irish over Indiana and Michigan State.  On the court, Haralson can do it all. He is athletic, physical, and at his best with the ball in his hands. The Indiana native is a plus defender with his long wingspan. Given his natural ability, if Haralson has a strong freshman campaign, he could hear his name called in next year’s NBA Draft.  Ryder Frost The second-highest rated recruit in the class is the New Hampshire native, a four-star and 98th overall player in the country. The 6-6 SF committed to Notre Dame over Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, and others just two days after Haralson. Frost is an elite shooter and one of the best in the country. He has flashed a good passing game as well. His off-ball offense and general defense will need some developing, however, he has the body to eventually become a defensive force. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Tommy Ahneman Shrewsberry secured his big man with the commitment of this 6-10 body. Ahneman is a four-star and the 113th overall player in the country, including the number one player in Minnesota. The North Dakota native committed to Notre Dame three days after Frost, selecting the Irish over Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Ahneman immediately brings a needed post presence on both sides of the ball to South Bend. Offensively, he is a good and crafty finisher at the rim, but he will not stretch the floor. He also has flashed good court vision for a big. Improved mobility will be key to Ahneman’s development. Brady Koehler The first commit of this class was the athletic 6-8 PF from Indianapolis who attended Cathedral. Koehler ranks as a four-star and the 120th overall player in the country. He committed to the Irish on September 23 over Iowa, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest. Koehler is as athletic as they come and is also a smart player. He is a great defender featuring shot-blocking capabilities. On offense, he likes to play above the rim and is a good finisher. He has also shown flashes as a shooter. Overall, the offensive game can use some development due to a thin frame, but this should come naturally, especially with the recent hire of Jon Sanderson, the Irish’s new strength and conditioning coach who is highly regarded around the country. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun