Título: Ara Parseghian
Seção: Turnaround and the 1964 season
Background: Ara Raoul Parseghian (May 21, 1923 - August 2, 2017) was an American football player and coach who guided the University of Notre Dame to national championships in 1966 and 1973. He is noted for bringing Notre Dame's Fighting Irish football program from years of futility back into a national contender in 1964 and is widely regarded alongside Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy as a part of the "Holy Trinity" of Notre Dame head coaches. Parseghian grew up in Akron, Ohio, and played football beginning in his junior year of high school. He enrolled at the University of Akron, but soon quit to join the U.S. Navy for two years during World War II.

Conteúdo: Parseghian quickly turned things around in 1964; he re-established a sense of confidence and team spirit that had been lost under Kuharich and Devore. Practices were carefully planned and organized with the help of a coaching staff that consisted of three assistants from Northwestern and four former Notre Dame players. Parseghian listened to players' concerns about the program and addressed them. He invigorated the team's offense by favoring passing and bringing in smaller and quicker players. A rule change allowing unlimited substitutions starting in 1964 helped make this strategy successful; fast-running receivers could now be taken out of the game and rested as others replaced them.  Parseghian also recognized talent in quarterback John Huarte and wide receiver Jack Snow, who had been used only sparingly for two seasons by previous coaches. Huarte could throw far and accurately but was soft-spoken, a trait Parseghian and his staff helped change. Snow was large for a receiver of his era, but Parseghian thought his athleticism and sure hands would make him a good wideout. Still, expectations were muted for the 1964 season: Parseghian told his coaches that the team would have a 6-4 record if they were lucky. Sports Illustrated predicted a 5-5 record at best, and the team did not rank among the top 20 programs in the country in the pre-season AP Poll.  Notre Dame nonetheless opened the season with a 31-7 victory over heavily favored Wisconsin, a game in which Huarte threw for 

user: What happened in the 1964 season?

assistant: posting a 7-2-1 record. While the team did not contend for a national title,

user: When did they get a national title?

assistant: the team did not contend for a national title,

user: did the team do worse in 1964 than previous years?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: What was the turnaround about?

assistant: He invigorated the team's offense by favoring passing and bringing in smaller and quicker players.

user: Who were the players he brought in?

assistant: quarterback John Huarte and wide receiver Jack Snow,

user: did these players improve the team performance?

assistant: Huarte and Snow graduated after the 1964 season, and Notre Dame felt their absence the following year,

user: did notre dame get good players the following year?

assistant: defensive back Nick Rassas led the nation in punt returns and came in sixth in interceptions; he was named a first-team All-American by sportswriters.

user: Did the team continue to do well in the years to follow?

assistant: posting a 7-2-1 record.