Nov 19, 2022; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA;  Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald walks the sidelines during the second quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Pat Fitzgerald sues Northwestern, alleges wrongful termination

Ousted Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald, fired amid a hazing investigation, is seeking more than $130 million in a lawsuit filed Thursday.

The suit, filed in Cook County, Ill., names the university and its president as defendants. Fitzgerald contends the school wrongfully fired him for cause, defamed him and intentionally caused emotional distress.

Fitzgerald, a Northwestern alum, wants to be paid the $68 million remaining on his contract, which was due to expire before the 2031 season. He also wants millions for future earnings, contending he won’t be able to find a similar job.

By firing Fitzgerald for cause, the university contends his contract is null and void.

“If there was ever an athletic coach at Northwestern University that should not have been terminated, it was Coach Fitzgerald,” said his attorney, Dan Webb. He contended in a news conference Thursday that the school had ruined Fitzgerald’s reputation without evidence.

Northwestern president Michael Schill said in July that an independent investigation found hazing allegations were “largely supported by evidence.”

The firing came after a player came forward to the student newspaper, the Daily Northwestern, and revealed that some of the alleged hazing included coerced sexual acts. Fitzgerald is also accused of presiding over a “culture of enabling racism.”

In a statement, per USA Today, the school said Fitzgerald “had the responsibility to know that hazing was occurring and to stop it” but didn’t.

“The safety of our students remains our highest priority, and we deeply regret that any student-athletes experienced hazing,” the school said in part of the statement. “We remain confident that the University acted appropriately in terminating Fitzgerald and we will vigorously defend our position in court.”

Schill suspended and later fired Fitzgerald following the investigations.

At least 13 players have sued the school, describing acts that allegedly took place, including “naked” events. Fitzgerald has been named as a defendant in six of the lawsuits.

Fitzgerald, 48, coached Northwestern from 2006-22, going 110-101 during his tenure. The Wildcats were 5-5 in bowl games.

–Field Level Media

Nov 26, 2022; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald leads his team on the field against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern alums: School didn’t follow ‘due process’ in Pat Fitzgerald case

Northwestern administrators failed to give football coach Pat Fitzgerald his “due process” before firing him and tarnished his “legacy and character,” a group of former athletes at the school charged Monday in an open letter.

ESPN obtained the letter, signed by 86 people, including some who were teammates of Fitzgerald when he played for the Wildcats. Per ESPN, the letter states that campus president Michael Schill and athletic director Derrick Gragg both had “a clear failure of unbiased and principled leadership” and should be ousted if they don’t “positively support our athletic programs with due process” and also release results of a campus investigation.

Fitzgerald was terminated July 10 following allegations of hazing and other abuse in the program. Fitzgerald has denied knowing about any wrongdoing.

A university investigation completed before Fitzgerald was fired showed a hazing allegation likely could be proved but could not determine that Fitzgerald or his staff were aware of just what went on in the program.

“We share Northwestern University administration’s deep concern over the possibility that any student-athlete has been harmed by sexual harassment, hazing, or racism while at Northwestern University,” the letter reads, but added that without a proper investigation, no one should be presumed guilty.

The way administrators handled the situation could leave staff members vulnerable to future allegations that could be unsubstantiated, and Fitzgerald already has been harmed, per the letter.

“By willfully ignoring due process, Northwestern University’s administration has left a welcome mat out for the weaponization of sexual harassment, hazing, and racism accusations to run rampant at Northwestern University,” the letter reads. “Any allegation, true or not, will be allowed to cancel anyone’s career and destroy their reputation depending upon popular opinion, while simultaneously allowing the censorship of free speech. The collective gains of Northwestern’s Athletic Department over the last three decades, along with Pat Fitzgerald’s legacy and character, have almost been wiped out without any proof of guilt or, much less, even a thorough and proper investigation.”

Allegations of hazing and mistreatment have spread to other sports programs at Northwestern, and the school has brought in former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to lead an investigation into the athletic culture at the school.

In the letter Monday, the former athletes said they were not in favor of Lynch’s role in the investigation, citing “political controversies surrounding her history and reputation.”

Northwestern has not yet commented on the letter.

–Field Level Media

Oct 29, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald looks on during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Ex-Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald to become HS assistant

Former Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald is set to become a volunteer assistant coach at a Chicago-area private high school, The Record North Shore reported.

Fitzgerald, who was fired at Northwestern on July 10 following allegations of hazing within his football program, now will spend his time working within the football program at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill., a mere 6 miles from the Northwestern campus.

Two of Fitzgerald’s children attend Loyola Academy, while a third child, son Jack, graduated from the school and became a walk-on tight end for the Wildcats.

Fitzgerald’s Northwestern teams went 110-101 in 18 seasons as he became the winningest coach in the program’s history.

The 48-year-old reportedly went through sensitivity training and a background check and signed a code of conduct as is required of all Loyola Academy parent volunteers.

A Northwestern investigation ruled that there was not enough evidence to determine that Fitzgerald was aware of hazing within the program. The university hired Loretta Lynch, the former U.S. attorney general, to conduct an independent review of its athletics programs and culture.

The Ramblers of Loyola Academy are the reigning state Class 8A champions, the top division in Illinois.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, US; ACC commissioner James Phillips addresses the media during the ACC Men s  Basketball Tip-Off in Charlotte, NC.  Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

ACC commish: Never condoned hazing as Northwestern AD

Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips denied that he tolerated hazing while serving as athletic director at Northwestern from 2008 to 2021.

Northwestern is reeling from the termination of head football coach Pat Fitzgerald and the firing of head baseball coach Jim Foster earlier this month. Fitzgerald was let go after an internal investigation found hazing to be widespread in the football program, and an anonymous former player told the student newspaper that Fitzgerald may have known it was taking place.

Since Fitzgerald’s firing, three lawsuits have been levied against the school alleging Fitzgerald and other leaders were negligent in their duty to protect student-athletes. Two of the three John Doe complaints name Phillips as a defendant.

“This has been a difficult time for the Northwestern University community, a place that my entire family called home,” Phillips said in a statement Thursday. “Over my thirty-year career in intercollegiate athletics, my highest priority has always been the health and safety of all student-athletes. Hazing is completely unacceptable anywhere, and my heart goes out to anyone who carries the burden of having been mistreated.

“Any allegation that I ever condoned or tolerated inappropriate conduct against student-athletes is absolutely false. I will vigorously defend myself against any suggestion to the contrary.”

Phillips became the commissioner of the ACC in 2021 after 13 years at Northwestern, overlapping with most of Fitzgerald’s tenure as head coach. A former star player at the school, Fitzgerald had been head coach since 2006.

–Field Level Media

Dec 19, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; The Big 10 Conference logo is seen on the field during the first half between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Northwestern Wildcats at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

David Braun officially named interim head coach at Northwestern

Northwestern made official the promotion of first-year defensive coordinator David Braun to interim head coach on Friday.

He replaces Pat Fitzgerald, who was fired Monday with $42 million remaining on his contract after university officials concluded an independent investigation that found hazing allegations within the program were “largely supported by evidence.”

Braun, who has no head coaching experience and is new to the FBS level, was promoted for the 2023 season.

“The opportunity to lead this team at this crucial moment in its history is not something I take lightly, and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me by (athletic director Derrick) Gragg and Northwestern leadership,” Braun said in a news release. “Our focus today and every day moving forward is on supporting these men, many of whom have only been on campus for several weeks, in their preparation for the 2023 football season and the 2023-24 academic year.”

Braun was hired in January after working as the defensive coordinator at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State from 2019-22. The Bison won two FCS national championships (2019, 2021) and two Missouri Valley Football Conference crowns in his first three seasons, and they boasted the country’s No. 1 scoring defense both title years.

A graduate of Winona State graduate and a former defensive lineman there, Braun also was an assistant coach at NAIA program Culver-Stockton (2010), Division II Winona State (2011-14) and FCS program UC Davis (2015-16). He spent two seasons at Northern Iowa before accepting the position at North Dakota State.

Braun will make his coaching debut Sept. 3 at Rutgers.

The Wildcats are coming off a 1-11 season in 2022, following a 3-9 campaign in 2021.

–Field Level Media

Oct 29, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald looks on during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Northwestern fires coach Pat Fitzgerald

Northwestern fired football coach Pat Fitzgerald on Monday, several media outlets reported, amid continued fallout of a controversy surrounding alleged hazing within the program.

The decision comes three days after Fitzgerald received a two-week suspension without pay following an independent investigation that found hazing allegations were “largely supported by evidence.”

A player then came forward to the student newspaper, the Daily Northwestern, and revealed that some of the hazing included coerced sexual acts. Fitzgerald is also accused of presiding over a culture of racism.

University president Michael Schill wrote a letter to the Northwestern community Saturday night admitting that the school “may have erred” in the severity of its discipline.

Northwestern had not yet confirmed the reports or announced an interim coach.

–Field Level Media

Oct 29, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald looks on during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern president: ‘May have erred’ in Pat Fitzgerald punishment

A day after Northwestern announced a two-week suspension for football coach Pat Fitzgerald for hazing allegations, the university president issued a second statement suggesting that the school “may have erred” in the severity of its discipline.

Late Saturday, university president Michael Schill sent a letter to the Northwestern community that he and the school perhaps hadn’t gone far enough in suspended the longtime face of the program for two weeks without pay.

“In determining an appropriate penalty for the head coach, I focused too much on what the report concluded he didn’t know and not enough on what he should have known,” the letter said in part. “As the head coach of one of our athletics programs, coach Fitzgerald is not only responsible for what happens within the program but also must take great care to uphold our institutional commitment to the student experience.

“Clearly, he failed to uphold that commitment, and I failed to sufficiently consider that failure in levying a sanction.”

Schill said that he had a change of heart after speaking with the family of the former player who had originally made the allegations of wrongdoing. ESPN reported that the player and school spoke directly on Sunday as well.

A new punishment will be considered among the Northwestern board of trustees and other university leaders. Fitzgerald’s initial suspension began Friday.

Fitzgerald, 48, has been the head coach of the Big Ten program since 2006 and was previously a two-time consensus All-American linebacker for the school.

The university received a complaint in late November alleging instances of hazing that occurred inside the team’s locker room and at an off-campus practice in Kenosha, Wis. Investigators spoke with more than 50 people currently or previously affiliated with the program and reviewed emails and player survey data dating back to 2014, per the executive summary of the probe.

“The investigation team determined that the complainant’s claims were largely supported by the evidence gathered during the investigation, including separate and consistent first-person accounts from current and former players,” per the summary.

“While the investigation did not uncover evidence pointing to specific misconduct by any individual football player or coach, participation in or knowledge of the hazing activities was widespread across football players.”

“I was very disappointed when I heard about the allegations of hazing on our football team,” Fitzgerald said. “Although I was not aware of the alleged incidents, I have spoken to University officials, and they informed me of a two-week suspension, effective immediately.

“Northwestern football prides itself on producing not just athletes, but fine young men with character befitting the program and our University. We hold our student-athletes and our program to the highest standards; we will continue to work to exceed those standards moving forward.”

A statement from a collective of current players released Saturday night called into question the validity of the accusations.

“It is disheartening to see that the allegations brought forth against our team have been exaggerated and twisted into lies. These fabrications have been made with the intention of harming our program and tarnish the reputation of our dedicated players and coaching staff,” the players’ statement said. “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.”

In addition to Fitzgerald’s suspension, Northwestern also originally announced a discontinuation of football practices at “Camp Kenosha” and an independent monitor being assigned to the team among several changes aimed at providing better oversight.

The Wildcats are coming off a 1-11 record in 2022. They will open the 2023 season at Rutgers on Sept. 3.

Fitzgerald is 110-101 with 10 bowl appearances (5-5 record) in 17 seasons as the head coach at his alma mater.

–Field Level Media

Nov 19, 2022; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA;  Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald walks the sidelines during the second quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald suspended in hazing inquiry

Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald received a two-week suspension without pay following an independent investigation into allegations of hazing within the program, the university announced Friday.

The suspension begins Friday for the 48-year-old Fitzgerald, who has been the head coach of the Big Ten program since 2006. The Wildcats will begin preseason practices in early August.

The university received a complaint in late November alleging instances of hazing that occurred inside the team’s locker room and at Kenosha, Wis. Investigators spoke with more than 50 people currently or previously affiliated with the program and reviewed emails and player survey data dating back to 2014, per the executive summary of the probe.

“The investigation team determined that the complainant’s claims were largely supported by the evidence gathered during the investigation, including separate and consistent first-person accounts from current and former players,” per the summary.

“While the investigation did not uncover evidence pointing to specific misconduct by any individual football player or coach, participation in or knowledge of the hazing activities was widespread across football players.”

“I was very disappointed when I heard about the allegations of hazing on our football team,” Fitzgerald said. “Although I was not aware of the alleged incidents, I have spoken to University officials, and they informed me of a two-week suspension, effective immediately.

“Northwestern football prides itself on producing not just athletes, but fine young men with character befitting the program and our University. We hold our student-athletes and our program to the highest standards; we will continue to work to exceed those standards moving forward.”

Northwestern president Michael Schill provided the following statement:

“Hazing in any form is unacceptable and goes against our core values at Northwestern, where we strive to make the University a safe and welcoming environment for all of our students. Our athletics programs are held to the highest standards, and in this case, we failed to meet them. I expect that today’s actions will prevent this from ever happening again.”

In addition to Fitzgerald’s suspension, Northwestern also announced the following changes:

–Football practices at “Camp Kenosha” will be permanently discontinued.

–The University will require monitoring of the locker room by someone who doesn’t report to the football coaching staff.

–The University will create an online reporting tool specifically for student athletes to anonymously report incidents of potential hazing or hazing-related concerns.

–The University will require annual mandatory anti-hazing training for all coaches, staff members and athletes, with an emphasis on reporting options, the duties to report and discipline for future violations.

The Wildcats are coming off a 1-11 record in 2022. They will open the 2023 season at Rutgers on Sept. 3.

Fitzgerald is 110-101 with 10 bowl appearances (5-5 record) in 17 seasons as the head coach at his alma mater.

–Field Level Media

Dec 31, 2018; San Diego, CA, United States; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald runs onto the field during the 2018 Holiday Bowl against the Utah Utes at SDCCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern gives Pat Fitzgerald new deal through 2030

Northwestern and football coach Pat Fitzgerald agreed Wednesday to a new contract through the 2030 season.

Fitzgerald, 46, has held the job at his alma mater since 2006, leading the Wildcats to a 106-81 record with 10 bowl appearances.

“We have one of the best coaches in college football and, more importantly, a leader uncommonly suited to this University,” vice president for athletics and recreation Jim Phillips said in a news release. “Over the course of his tenure, Coach Fitzgerald has built a culture of unwavering belief in excellence both on and off the field, and led our Wildcats to unprecedented sustained success. They boast incredible achievement in the classroom, in the community and in competition, and will for years to come.”

He is the winningest coach in school history and the sixth-longest tenured head coach in the FBS.

Northwestern finished 7-2 and ranked No. 10 in the country in 2020 after winning the Big Ten West division for the second time in three years and beating Auburn in the Citrus Bowl. Fitzgerald was named the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year.

It was the highest end-of-season ranking for the program since 1995, a team that featured Fitzgerald as a starting linebacker.

“From the moment I stepped on campus as an undergraduate, I have believed this is the finest University in the country, with the potential to offer an unmatched student-athlete experience,” Fitzgerald said in the release.

“… We have built the foundation to compete for championships in tandem with the best academic and personal development opportunity anywhere in college football. We all have a lot to be proud of, but our best is yet to come.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 19, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald looks on during the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Report: NFL teams eyeing Northwestern’s Fitzgerald

Two NFL teams have already inquired about Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald’s availability and more clubs are expected to request interviews for their head coaching positions, ESPN reported Sunday.

Fitzgerald, 46, has a 105-81 record in 15 seasons at his alma mater, including the Wildcats’ 22-10 loss Saturday to Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game.

He has guided Northwestern to two Big Ten West titles in the last three years and has guided the Wildcats to nine bowl games and three 10-win seasons.

Nine NFL teams have inquired about Fitzgerald in the past five years, according to ESPN’s sources. He turned down a chance to interview with the Green Bay Packers in 2019 and was a candidate for the Carolina Panthers last year, with those jobs going to Matt LaFleur and Matt Rhule, respectively.

–Field Level Media