Northwestern University has fired coach Pat Fitzgerald, the university announced Monday night, days after information about alleged graphic hazing incidents in the program surfaced.
Fitzgerald was fired three days after being initially placed on a two-week suspension without pay. But after two former players told The Daily Northwestern student newspaper about the hazing, which was sexual in nature, university officials decided to review his position with the program.
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There have been plenty of names floating to replace Fitzgerald. According to rumors, four Michigan football assistants would be head coaches as soon as 2024. But with the firing of Fitzgerald, that could even be this season.
Sherrone Moore, the Michigan offensive coordinator, is a name that Steve Wiltfong, director of recruitment for 247Sports, has circulated as a possible candidate for the Wildcats in Evanston. Moore hasn’t yet served as the team’s only offensive coordinator for an entire season (or even just one game). He served as a co-coordinator with Matt Weiss the previous year, and although though Josh Gattis was the coordinator at the time, he was listed as a co-coordinator for 2021.
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Some more possible names include defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, safeties coach Jay Harbaugh, and running backs coach Mike Hart.
Fitzgerald, a former All-American linebacker for Northwestern from 1993 to 1996, took over as head coach in 2006 at the age of 31. Following his team’s second consecutive trip to the Big Ten championship game in 2021, Fitzgerald was awarded a 10-year contract extension.
He has a 110-101 career record in 17 seasons, making him the most successful football coach in NU history. There were never any speculations that Fitzgerald’s career was in danger, even though the Wildcats lost 11 straight games in 2022 after defeating Nebraska in Ireland in their season opener.