Northwestern will have its first football head coaching search in 25 years.
Pat Fitzgerald was fired Monday following an investigation into hazing in the program. He was initially suspended for two weeks, but university president Michael Schill backtracked and fired the coach instead. (There will be lawyers.)
Fitzgerald brought a program with little winning history to its most consistent period of success since the early 1900s. His teams reached the Big Ten championship game twice and finished ranked in the AP Top 25 five times since 2012. But the program had cratered in recent years. Plenty has been written about Northwestern’s handling of this hazing situation, and more news will certainly come to light. But the football program also has to move forward with a season, and the full-time role will be a sought-after job.
