Reports: Northwestern to name DC David Braun interim head coach after Pat Fitzgerald firing

Northwestern is set to name defensive coordinator David Braun interim head coach for the 2023 season, according to multiple reports. Braun joined the staff in January after serving as the defensive coordinator at North Dakota State and On3’s Matt Zenitz reported he was the popular choice to take over for Pat Fitzgerald as the interim.

College football reporter Matt Fortuna and ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the news of Braun’s promotion. Braun was already the acting head coach at Northwestern after the university fired Fitzgerald earlier this week in light of hazing allegations within the program. In a team meeting on Tuesday, some players voiced their support for Braun to become the interim head coach for the 2023 season, Zenitz reported.

Braun has largely been an assistant at the Division II and FCS levels before arriving at Northwestern in January. A former defensive end at Winona State, he got his coaching start there as a graduate assistant from 2008-09. After a quick stop at Culver-Stockton in 2010, Braun returned to Winona State as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2011-14.

Braun then became the defensive line coach at UC Davis from 2015-16 before two years at Northern Iowa. He worked at North Dakota State from 2019-22 and helped the Bison to two FCS titles in that time. He became Northwestern’s defensive coordinator in January, becoming the second defensive coordinator in three years since Mike Hankwitz retired after the 2020 season.

Fitzgerald served as the head coach at his alma mater for 17 years and became the winningest coach in program history. He was initially given a two-week suspension without pay, but Northwestern president Michael Schill said he was re-evaluating that decision and ultimately fired Fitzgerald on Monday.

Northwestern’s decision to fire Fitzgerald sparked a legal battle as he hired a big-name lawyer as he prepares to take action against the university. On3’s Andy Staples reported he had $42 million left on his contract at the time of his firing, which came two years into a new 10-year deal he signed after taking Northwestern to the Big Ten Championship in 2020.

The move also comes just two weeks before Big Ten Media Days. Three players are set to represent Northwestern in Indianapolis, and the Wildcats have a slot at the podium at 11:45 a.m. on July 26. When the Big Ten announced the student-athlete attendees on Wednesday, Northwestern’s coach spot was left blank.