Northwestern’s David Braun Cites Free Speech When Asked About Pat Fitzgerald Shirts

Several Wildcats staffers were seen in shirts that appeared to show support for the fired football coach.

Northwestern football staffers, including offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, were seen wearing shirts that seemed to honor former coach Pat Fitzgerald during practice Wednesday, and they received backlash from the college football world online for the action. Fitzgerald was fired after the school launched an investigation into hazing within the football program. 

Interim coach David Braun was asked about the shirts and said his job is to support his players and staff members. 

“It’s not my business to censor anyone’s free speech,” he said, according to ESPN. 

It’s a controversial decision for the Wildcats amid the hazing scandal that gets uglier by the day. Fitzgerald has maintained he was unaware of any hazing that took place within the program, but a slew of lawsuits have been filed against him in connection with the matter. The shirts in question displayed the slogan “Cats Against the World” on them and included the number 51 on it—the uniform number Fitzgerald wore during his playing career for Northwestern. 

The story of the hazing scandal first was broken by The Daily Northwestern—the university’s student newspaper—and it detailed instances of hazing that included alleged coerced sexual acts. Later, reports from Adam Rittenberg of ESPN and Bradley Locker of Inside NU corroborated the report. The Daily Northwestern later reported allegations of racism within the program by several former players.