Around College Football: Northwestern Fires HC Pat Fitzgerald

Northwestern has fired head football coach Pat Fitzgerald days after reports of intense hazing within the football program emerged. 

Fitzgerald was initially suspended for two weeks last Friday when the claims of hazing first surfaced, but university officials chose to look into different measures after more details came out that described the graphic ways in which players were tormented.

On Monday evening, Northwestern president Michael Schill released a statement saying that the school had decided to officially part ways with Fitzgerald. 

"The head coach is ultimately responsible for the culture of his team," Schill wrote. "The hazing we investigated was widespread and clearly not a secret within the program, providing Coach Fitzgerald with the opportunity to learn what was happening."

It is unknown if Fitzgerald knew about the hazing, but Northwestern's investigation determined that many people within the program were aware that it was happening. 

Fitzgerald served as the head coach of the Wildcats for 17 years and is one of the most successful coaches in program history. He led Northwestern to a 110-101 career record and was named the 2018 Big Ten Coach of the Year.