He sacked Stefano Pioli after just two matches and replaced him with Claudio Ranieri, but the club continued to struggle.
Relegation seemed inevitable, but final day victory secured Parma's place in Italy's top division for the following season.
Life in Serie B started worryingly under Luigi Cagni, who was replaced by Francesco Guidolin and Parma would go on to secure promotion with two games of the season to go.
The return to Serie A was the cue for the appointment of Pietro Leonardi as general manager and Andrea Berta (ex-colleague at Carpenedolo) as sporting director.
A creditable eighth-place finish and the return of Hernán Crespo saw Ghirardi held in high regard by the fans.