Newsstand: Northwestern parts ways with Pat Fitzgerald
A big change has come to the Big Ten with the news that Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald has been terminated by the university due to hazing allegations within the Wildcat program. Defensive coordinator Dave Braun is set to take over as acting head coach.
“The head coach is ultimately responsible for the culture of his team,” university president Michael Schill wrote in an open letter to the community. “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. Either way, the culture in Northwestern Football, while incredible in some ways, was broken in others.”
Fitzgerald’s firing comes after the school said Friday it would suspend Fitzgerald for two weeks without pay after the conclusion of an investigation.
Fitzgerald, went 110-101 in 17 seasons on the job in Evanston and 26 seasons at Northwestern overall as a player and coach. He has two seasons into a 10-year, $57 million contract with the school and it remains to be seen what type of financial ramifications may come from it.
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Early speculation has tabbed Michigan offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Sherrone Moore as a candidate for the full-time job once it becomes available. The climb in Evanston could be tough coming out of a seemingly toxic era for Northwestern football. But with two members coming to the league in 2024 with USC and UCLA and increased payouts from the Big Ten’s new television contract, it could be a more appealing job than some think.
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“What Rece Davis said isn’t crazy. The logic itself, to me, is pretty sound. Because you look at the way Michigan is built? Top-five in returning production, right? So that’s solid. A lot of pieces are coming back. (They) have the best backfield in the country with Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum, who was playing at a Heisman level last year before he got hurt.”
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