Pat Fitzgerald fired at Northwestern following hazing investigation

Northwestern has fired head coach Pat Fitzgerald after 17 years on the job, the school announced Monday.

“This afternoon, I informed Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald that he was being relieved of his duties effective immediately,” President Michael Schill said.

The decision comes after 11 former and current Northwestern football players spoke out regarding hazing inside the program, Schill adding that it included “forced participation, nudity, and sexualized act of a degrading nature.” Though he can’t prove Fitzgerald himself knew, “the head coach is ultimately responsible for the culture of his team.”

“The hazing we investigated was widespread and clearly not a secret within the program, providing Coach Fitzgerald with the opportunity to learn what was happening,” Schill announced. “Either way, the culture in Northwestern Football, while incredible in some ways, was broken in others.”

On3’s Matt Zenitz reported that Northwestern’s staff received the news via Zoom on Monday.

Fitzgerald originally received a two-week suspension without pay for the hazing allegations on July 7, though the investigation “did not discover sufficient evidence to believe that coaching staff knew about the ongoing hazing conduct.” Just two days later on July 9, the school decided to reconsider the penalty, leading to Monday’s announcement. The original investigation was launched back in January.

Northwestern’s entire football team released a statement on the decision, saying the hazing allegations are “exaggerated and twisted” while adding their former head coach was not involved with or aware of the situation.

“It is disheartening to see that the allegations brought forth against our team have been exaggerated and twisted into lies,” the team wrote. “These fabrications have been made with the intention of harming our program and tarnish the reputation of our dedicated players and coaching staff. We firmly deny the validity of these accusations and stand united in our assertion that they do not reflect the true character of our team.

“… It is crucial to note that our Head Coach, Pat Fitzgerald, was not involved in any of the alleged incidents in any way, shape, or form. Coach Fitzgerald had no knowledge of these allegations until they were brought to his attention during the investigation. Throughout his tenure, Coach Fitzgerald has consistently prioritized the well-being and development of his players, and we stand behind him in his unwavering commitment to our team.”

Ending his 17-year tenure at Northwestern, Fitzgerald’s departure means only five Power 5 coaches have a longer head coaching tenure than Kentucky’s Mark Stoops: Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), Nick Saban (Alabama), Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Kyle Whittingham (Utah) and Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State).

Fitzgerald, a former Northwestern linebacker and College Football Hall of Famer in his own right, totaled a 110-101 overall record and 65-76 in Big Ten play during his time as head coach.