Many coaches have gone through the Chicagoland area in its long history of sports. Several didn’t last long, most often because of their lack of accomplishments on the field. However, Pat Fitzgerald managed to blow up his legacy at Northwestern in epic fashion. The college has fired the football head coach after 17 seasons on the job. Not too long ago, it looked like Fitzgerald was untouchable. He was the most recognized and respected coach in the entire state. Now he may never work in college football again.
That is because a report by the Daily Northwestern blew open a massive scandal that involved hazing rituals, forced sexualized acts, and other nasty accusations by several anonymous athletes. Several believe Fitzgerald had full knowledge of the activities and turned a blind eye. If he somehow didn’t know, it would be one of the severest cases of gross negligence in college sports history. The truth is once the information started going public, there was no way Fitzgerald would survive the fallout.
Now his run is over.
Pat Fitzgerald was on top of the world not too long ago.
His team went 7-2 in 2020, winning the Citrus Bowl and finishing 10th in the AP rankings, the highest of his coaching tenure. He’d signed a lucrative contraction extension that lasted through 2026 a few years before that. Fitzgerald’s name was even connected to possible head coaching jobs in the NFL. He probably wishes he would’ve taken that leap when he had the chance. Northwestern won only four games over the next two years and now finds itself in the middle of one of the worst college scandals in years.
Now Pat Fitzgerald finds his name muttered in the same breath as Art Briles and Joe Paterno. He will be viewed as a man who prioritized winning football games over his players’ mental and physical well-being. Letting a culture of bullying and depravity prevail in that locker room is never acceptable. There are far more humane ways for an athlete to prove his toughness and commitment to the cause. The game doesn’t need people like him. It’s sad he let all of it happen.
