Big Ten Roundup (July 11): Pat Fitzgerald Fired After 17 Years Coaching Northwestern

The legendary Northwestern head coach and former player Pat Fitzgerald has been fired just days after his original two-week suspension was announced. Additional reporting revealing further detail of hazing within the Northwestern football program led to Fitzgerald's dismissal.

Daniel Olinger | Jul 11, 2023

Big Ten Roundup (July 11): Pat Fitzgerald Fired After 17 Years Coaching Northwestern /

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Northwestern Wildcats

Pat Fitzgerald's dismissal was announced late Monday evening by Northwestern University President Michael Schill, following further reporting on the allegations of hazing occurring within the Wildcats football program, in addition to a culture of racism. It's become the biggest story in the college football world over the past 72 hours, if not the biggest story in sports.

Further reporting has come out detailing a toxic environment fostered by Northwestern baseball coach Jim Foster.

Here's everything you need to know in today's Big Ten Roundup:

Pat Fitzgerald Fired

For the man who was once considered the brightest star to ever take the field for the Northwestern Wildcats, there is no more shameful way for Pat Fitzgerald's tenure in Evanston to end.

The entire saga has grown incredibly complicated and encountered many twists and turns. In roughly one weekend, Fitzgerald's punishment transformed from a two-week suspension served in the offseason into the dismissal of the program's most successful coach ever.

Largely thanks to the reporting done by Northwestern's two most prominent student-run publications — The Daily Northwestern and Inside NU — here's a brief recap of what happened at Northwestern over the past three days that led to the firing of Pat Fitzgerald:

Friday, July 7

Following the investigation conducted by Maggie Hickey of the ArentFox Schiff law firm, it was announced that Fitzgerald would be suspended for two weeks.

Saturday, July 8

The Daily Northwestern published a story in which two former players anonymously revealed details of the alleged hazing that took place, which included coerced acts of a sexual nature, often conducted by upperclassmen team members on freshmen players.
A statement was released saying it was from "The ENTIRE Northwestern Football Team" (though it's important to note that no actual signatures were signed on the letter), defending then-head coach Pat Fitzgerald and claiming that the reports in The Daily's story to be "exaggerated and twisted."
Northwestern University President Michael Schill announced in an email to the Northwestern community that he might have erred in his initial ruling of a two-week suspension, that he had talked to the anonymous player who spoke with The Daily Northwestern, and that he would address NU leadership before taking next steps.

NEW: Northwestern President Michael Schill writes about Pat Fitzgerald's suspension, "I focused too much on what the report concluded he didn't know and not enough on what he should've known," in an email.

Added he would assess with NU leadership to decide the next steps. pic.twitter.com/aIYUNp6cYP
— Inside NU (@insidenu) July 9, 2023

Sunday, July 9

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg spoke with the player who first came forward with the hazing allegations and reported that the player said Fitzgerald knew about the hazing in the program and failed to intervene
The Athletic's Chris Vannini quote tweeted Rittenberg's story and reported that a current Northwestern player said the whistleblower had, "a plan to get Pat Fitzgerald fired and wanted the coach to rot in jail."

A current Northwestern player tells ESPN that the anonymous whistleblower had a plan to get Pat Fitzgerald fired and wanted the coach to rot in jail. This situation gets more and more bizarre. https://t.co/Io8kRoQyN9
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) July 10, 2023

Multiple current and former Northwestern football players took to Twitter and defended Pat Fitzgerald.

Ive been here for a long time and decided to stay for my 6th year solely because of Coach Fitzgerald. The mark he’s left on my family and me has been one that we will never forget. Looking back on my time I would not change a thing. https://t.co/2lUaeKKHyA
— Charlie Mangieri (@CharlieMangieri) July 9, 2023

Monday, July 10

Inside NU Co-Editor in Chief Bradley Locker reported that other football players at Northwestern stepped forward claimed that the hazing allegations were true and that Fitzgerald "100% knew" that it was occurring in the team's locker room.
Inside NU Co-Editor in Chief Ignacio Dowling reported that accounts of racist behavior in the Northwestern football program, namely that a former Northwestern football player had said "Black players were forced to cut their hair a certain way, also noting that Black coaches were forced to do the same with threat of unemployment."

The Daily Northwestern published a story midday on Monday, in which three former Northwestern football players said that the football program had "a culture of enabling racism." The report cited quotes from Ramon Diaz Jr., a Northwestern football player from 2005-08.
Meanwhile, 670 The Score was told by nine different players on the Northwestern Baseball team that their head coach Jim Foster instituted an environment that was "toxic and broke the spirit of the team."
Further reporting done by the Chicago Tribune found that in Northwestern's internal probe into the baseball team, Foster was discovered to have "engaged in bullying and abusive behavior," was responsible for 15 of Northwestern's baseball players from this past season entering the transfer portal, and had made inappropriate comments in regards to a female manager on the team.
Paul Kennedy, Northwestern football's public relations manager since July 2012 and the school's Associate Athletic Director, was announced as the Big Ten's newest Vice President of sports communications, and many took note of the announcement's timing.
Monday at 5:42 p.m., Matt Fortuna broke the news that Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald had been fired.

Sources: Northwestern has parted ways with Pat Fitzgerald.
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) July 10, 2023

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Northwestern was expected to name defensive coordinator David Braun to the position of acting head coach. Braun joined the football team in January of 2023 after four years working as the defensive coordinator at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State.
In an email sent out to the Northwestern community, University President Michael Schill revealed that in the investigation, eleven current of former student-athletes acknowledged hazing had been going on within the football program.
Later in a statement sent to ESPN, Pat Fitzgerald said that, "I was surprised when I learned that the president of Northwestern unilaterally revoked our agreement without any prior notification and subsequently terminated my employment."

Statement attached from former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald to ESPN, which includes that he's hired a high-profile attorney to "take the necessary steps to protect my rights in accordance with the law." Fitzgerald: "I was surprised when I learned that the president of… pic.twitter.com/zPNTAkr2xn
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 11, 2023

Fitzgerald also said in the statement that he's hired legal counsel, and from the outside it looks like he's prepared to take legal action against the school for his employment. Pat Fitzgerald had $42 million remaining on his deal when he was dismissed, according to Andy Staples of On3.
Multiple current Northwestern football players took to Twitter and slammed the University for both the firing of Fitzgerald itself and how the University handled the announcement. In their tweets, many of them claimed that Athletic Director Derrick Gragg zoomed into an online meeting, delivered the news and left without answering any questions.

Tuesday, July 11

Inside NU's Gavin Dorsey reported more details on the toxic environment surrounding Northwestern baseball. According to the report, more than half of the baseball team ended up in therapy, and one player said that, "Unlike the situation with Fitz, you without a doubt will not be seeing any support for [Jim Foster] being signed off on by our team, which speaks volumes."