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Northwestern University has been flipped on its head in recent weeks after it announced findings of a months-long investigation in hazing allegations surrounding its football program.
The university initially suspended head coach Pat Fitzgerald for two weeks following the investigation. It determined that Fitzgerald was unaware of any hazing, but that he could and should have been.
But shortly after, following additional revelations, Fitzgerald was fired.
Former Wildcats players have since sued Fitzgerald over the allegations.
Though the former coach isn’t lying down.
Fitzgerald’s attorney Dan Webb issued a statement which read, “The Complaint recites the same anonymous allegations set forth in a July 8, 2023 newspaper article. Instead of making actual detailed factual allegations about Coach Fitzgerald’s conduct, the complaint makes a variety of broad-based and sweeping allegations ‘upon information and belief,’ without citing any specific facts or evidence.”
Webb added that “the complaint has no validity as to Coach Fitzgerald and we will aggressively defend against these allegations with facts and evidence.”
He then reiterated, “Nothing in the John Doe complaint comes close to contradiction the conclusions of the months-long investigation led by Attorney Maggie Hickey – that Coach Fitzgerald had no knowledge whatsoever of any form of hazing within the Northwestern Football Program. Again, we look forward to defending Coach Fitzgerald and taking all steps necessary to protect his legal rights, name, and reputation.”
Now a new source is coming to Fitzgerald’s defense.
Mike Hankwitz spent 13 seasons as Fitzgerald’s defensive coordinator before retiring in 2020. He claims that the allegations of hazing don’t add up.
“Fitz wanted to do what was right by the players,” Hankwitz told the New York Times. “Our first team meeting is team rules, one of which is zero tolerance for hazing. To say he sat by as this happened? I’m sorry.”
He claimed that Fitzgerald did all that he could to empower players to speak up should such a situation arise.
“He wanted to give them ownership and leadership skills,” Hankwitz claimed.
Fitzegrald isn’t getting his job back. And public perception likely isn’t changing anytime soon. But it’s clear he has a decent amount of people in his corner.
Whether that is worth much of anything is an entirely different question.