Posted at 1:22 a.m., Wednesday, September 5, 2007
CFB: Parseghian to have statue inside Irish's stadium
Associated Press
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Former Notre Dame football coach Ara Parseghian will be honored with a statue inside Notre Dame Stadium.A statue showing Parseghian on the shoulders of his players following the 1971 Cotton Bowl win over top-rated Texas will be dedicated Sept. 22 before the Notre Dame faces Michigan State.
The statue will be located inside Gate D, designated the national championship coaches gate. It will complement bas relief portraits of the five Notre Dame national championship coaches — Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Parseghian, Dan Devine and Lou Holtz.
Parseghian, hired as coach in 1964, guided the Irish to titles in 1966 and 1973 and retired after the 1974 season with a record of 95-17-4.
The sculpture has been paid for completely by donations from Parseghian's former players, assistant coaches and student managers, school officials said.
The statue was sculpted by Notre Dame graduate Jerry McKenna, who also created the Frank Leahy and Moose Krause statues east of Notre Dame Stadium, as well as the Knute Rockne sculpture at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown South Bend.
