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The Northwestern Wildcats are far from a powerhouse in the world of college football.
But given their limited resources and high academic standards, the Wildcats have been pretty impressive for the better part of the last decade.
Much of that comes down to impressive leadership of head coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald starred as a linebacker for the ‘Cats in the 90s, winning the Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski Awards in both 1995 and 1996. He was a two-time consensus All-American and helped lead Northwestern to a spot in the 1996 Rose Bowl.
He later returned to the program in 2001 as an assistant coach and by 2006 he was named the team’s head coach. Fitzgerald has shined at the helm of his alma mater, winning the Big Ten West in both 2018 and 2020, and winning the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award in the latter.
But now he’s run into a bit of trouble.
Northwestern announced in January that it had launched an investigation into hazing allegations surround the program.
Six months later, we have the results of that investigation.
The university found that there was no significant evidence that Fitzgerald or his staff knew about the hazing. But it also determined that he had “significant opportunities to discover and report” the behavior.
Coach Pat Fitzgerald will serve a two-week, unpaid suspension beginning today and other measures have been implemented, including no more off-campus practices in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where the team trained in August for years.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) July 7, 2023
It handed down a two-week suspension, beginning immediately. The university also barred off-campus practices in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a tradition for the Wildcats previously.
Pat Fitzgerald Issues Statement In Response To Hazing Suspension
Fitzgerald issued a statement shortly after the findings were announced.
Pat Fitzgerald will serve a two-week suspension without pay beginning today as part of penalties stemming from Northwestern’s investigation into allegations of hazing.
The investigation did not find that coaches knew, but believed there were opportunities to discover and report. pic.twitter.com/SeaIqIG0ei
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) July 7, 2023
“I was very disappointed when I heard about the allegations of hazing on our football team,” he 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 went just 4-20 over the last two seasons. And it much just be time for a change on the shores of Lake Michigan.