Northwestern fires head football coach Pat Fitzgerald amid hazing scandal

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern University President Michael Schill has fired head football coach Pat Fitzgerald amid allegations of hazing.

The allegations came to light last week, when Schill handed Fitzgerald a two-week off-season suspension. But in a campus-wide email sent Monday evening, Schill said information that came to light over the weekend caused him to reconsider and fire Fitzgerald outright.

Schill's email said in part, "the hazing included forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature, in clear violation of Northwestern policies and values… The hazing was well-known by many in the program..."

"That has no place in any sport," said one university employee. "It's very unfortunate that it's becoming so regular that every couple years we have these scandals come out."

"I was very surprised that something like that happened," said Northwestern graduate student Vansh Agarwal. "I don't know what to say. It's just so shocking in a way."

SUBSCRIBE TO FOX 32 ON YOUTUBE

Schill's email said at least 11 current and former players reported ongoing hazing to investigators, and that what ultimately led to his decision to fire Fitzgerald was: "the head coach is ultimately responsible for the culture of his team. 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."

"You gotta have your finger on the pulse of what's going on. You're the man, right? If you're not in charge, who is?" said longtime baseball coach Jim Clister, who was visiting Evanston with his youth team from Pennsylvania.

Schill's email did praise Coach Fitzgerald for his impact on the school and football program, also pointing out there's no "credible evidence" he knew about the hazing.

"You have to own your mistakes especially when you're in charge of all these young people, as he is," Sun-Times sports columnist Steve Greenberg told FOX 32.

"From what I hear, I think it's a good decision," said another student.

Schill said he expects the athletic director to announce the leadership for this upcoming season "in the days ahead." In the meantime, he urged the entire Northwestern Community to rally around the young men on the football team.

Schill's Full Statement Below

Dear Northwestern Community:

This afternoon, I informed Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald that he was being relieved of his duties effective immediately.

The decision comes after a difficult and complex evaluation of my original discipline decision imposed last week on Coach Fitzgerald for his failure to know and prevent significant hazing in the football program. Over the last 72 hours, I have spent a great deal of time in thought and in discussions with people who love our University — the Chair and members of our Board of Trustees, faculty leadership, students, alumni and Coach Fitzgerald himself. I have also received many phone calls, text messages and emails from those I know, and those I don’t, sharing their thoughts. While I am appreciative of the feedback and considered it in my decision-making, ultimately, the decision to originally suspend Coach Fitzgerald was mine and mine alone, as is the decision to part ways with him.

While the independent investigative report will remain confidential, it is important for our community to know the facts.

• During the investigation, eleven current or former football student-athletes acknowledged that hazing has been ongoing within the football program. In new media reporting today, still more former Northwestern football student-athletes confirmed that hazing was systemic dating back many years. This has never been about one former student-athlete and his motives; this is much bigger than that.
• The hazing included forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature, in clear violation of Northwestern policies and values. I am grateful that — to my knowledge — no student suffered physical injury as a result of these behaviors.
• While some student-athletes believed the hazing was in jest and not harmful, others viewed it as causing significant harm with long-term consequences.
• The hazing was well-known by many in the program, though the investigator failed to find any credible evidence that Coach Fitzgerald himself knew about it.
• As the entire six-month independent investigation was confidential, I only recently learned many of the details, including the complainant’s identity. I spoke with his parents on Friday and the student on Sunday.

Since Friday, I have kept going back to what we should reasonably expect from our head coaches, our faculty and our campus leaders. And that is what led me to make this decision. The head coach is ultimately responsible for the culture of his team. 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. Either way, the culture in Northwestern Football, while incredible in some ways, was broken in others.

There is no doubt that Coach Fitzgerald has had a tremendous impact on our institution, well beyond the football field. For nearly thirty years, he has given himself to Northwestern as a student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach, and he has positively impacted the lives of hundreds of young men. His players have almost all graduated and represented the University with distinction. Over the last two days, I have received hundreds and hundreds of emails describing how he has transformed the lives of current and former student-athletes. However, as much as Coach Fitzgerald has meant to our institution and our student-athletes, we have an obligation — in fact a responsibility — to live by our values, even when it means making difficult and painful decisions such as this one. We must move forward.

I recognize that my decision will not be universally applauded, and there will be those in our community who may vehemently disagree with it. Ultimately, I am charged with acting in the best interests of the entire University, and this decision is reflective of that. The damage done to our institution is significant, as is the harm to some of our students.

In the days ahead, Combe Family Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Derrick Gragg will announce the leadership for this upcoming football season, and I encourage all of you to rally around the young men in our football program as they take the field this fall. As always, the welfare of our students is paramount and we will move forward expeditiously to make the reforms I outlined in my letter, dated July 8.

Over my ten months serving as your President, I have found the Northwestern University community to be proud, to be passionate, to be supportive, and yes, to be demanding. While today is a difficult day, I take solace in knowing that what we stand for endures. Finally, I am grateful for the partnership and support of the Board of Trustees and Chair Peter Barris.

Fitzgerald responds

Fitzgerald issued this official statement in regard to his firing:

"I had the privilege of serving as the Head Football Coach at Northwestern University for the past 17 years. As a former Wildcat player who played a part in the remarkable transformation of our program, it was a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to lead the team. I take great pride in the achievements we accomplished during my tenure, both on and off the field. I dedicated myself wholeheartedly to nurturing our players, not only as athletes but also as exemplary students and members of the community. Our program instilled in young men the qualities to become outstanding husbands, fathers, and valuable contributors to society. Our players were well-prepared to make a positive impact in the world, and I am confident in the success we achieved together. The overwhelming majority of players we coached, 99% to be precise, have provided positive feedback that affirms our efforts.

Attorney Maggie Hickey conducted a thorough investigation spanning several months into the allegations that led to my termination. Her investigation reaffirmed what I have always maintained—that I had no knowledge whatsoever of any form of hazing within the Northwestern Football Program. 

Last Friday, Northwestern and I came to a mutual agreement regarding the appropriate resolution following the thorough investigation conducted by Ms. Hickey. This agreement stipulated a two-week suspension. Therefore, I was surprised when I learned that the president of Northwestern unilaterally revoked our agreement without any prior notification and subsequently terminated my employment.

Given this unexpected turn of events, I have entrusted my agent, Bryan Harlan, and legal counsel, Dan Webb from Winston & Strawn LLP, to take the necessary steps to protect my rights in accordance with the law."

Northwestern faculty members speak out

A group of Northwestern University faculty members released an open letter to Schill and others, calling for the university postop the planning and marketing process for the upcoming $800 million rebuild of the Wildcats' home stadium Ryan Field.

The letter reads as follows:

"We are a group of six tenured faculty members who are concerned about the culture of athletics at Northwestern. In 2021, we drew attention to abuses on the Northwestern cheer squad and to the misguided selection of Mike Polisky as Athletic Director after he was implicated in Northwestern’s failure to adequately respond to the cheerleaders’ allegations. 

We are dismayed to find Northwestern Athletics embroiled in another major scandal that involves allegations of sexual abuse and harassment as well as negligence or indifference among administrators and coaches. We call on Northwestern leadership to take immediate, comprehensive steps to remedy the current situation and to protect all student athletes from future abuse. 

The first step is transparency. The findings of the investigator should be made public to the fullest extent permitted by law, contingent on the consent of the victims. It is essential to learn what was known by NU coaches, staff and administrators, and when, and what steps were taken or not taken to address hazing on the football team. The broader community of NU students, staff, alumni, faculty, and donors deserves to know what occurred, in part so that we can ensure it never happens again. 

Next, we call on the administration to provide all necessary support to the students who experienced hazing and trauma. They should be reassured that they will not face retaliation from the administration or their peers, and they should be guaranteed full access to any mental health support they require.  We applaud the courage of the athletes and staff members who have come forward, and we salute NU student journalists for their work bringing the details of the allegations to light. We also call on the administration to encourage the perpetrators and enablers of the abuse to acknowledge what they saw and did, and to apologize.  

Looking ahead, we strongly urge university leadership to protect student athletes by ensuring that the Athletics Department abides by Northwestern’s principles of moral integrity, honesty, and responsibility. The Department is staffed by professionals who care about athletes’ well-being, but the potential for abuse is also immense. In 2021, it was clear to us that many student athletes felt uncomfortable coming forward with concerns about behaviors they witnessed or pressures they experienced, fearing retaliation or ostracism. Putting a competent outside observer in the football locker room will help mitigate the issue that brought us to this crisis. But we believe greater oversight of the Athletic Department is needed, perhaps through the creation of a dedicated ombudsperson or office and a widely publicized tip line. 

Northwestern recently announced plans for an $800 million rebuild of Ryan Field. We believe the university should halt that planning and marketing process until this crisis is satisfactorily resolved. Over the past decade, Northwestern has made major and high-profile investments in athletics. But disturbing evidence of harassment and abuse – and high-level efforts to minimize those problems – suggest that we need to get the existing house in order before expanding it. We share an interest in ensuring the future success of NU athletics, and in stellar facilities where our students can compete on the highest level. But first, we must ensure that our Athletics Program enables all our students to thrive. 

Finally, we welcome more information about our football program’s leadership. After heading our football program for seventeen years, Coach Fitzgerald is responsible for the culture and behavior of his team. He must be held accountable. Unless the university presents compelling evidence that Coach Fitzgerald proactively and systematically worked to prevent abuse and investigate potential hazing throughout his tenure - and hold the perpetrators and any knowing staff members accountable once he learned of misbehavior - we have no confidence in his ability to protect our students and represent the university’s values. 

We were heartened by President Schill’s recent message to the NU community, acknowledging that the sanctions against Coach Fitzgerald have been inadequate. We trust that you share our concerns and that you and other members of Northwestern’s leadership will take comprehensive action to right past wrongs and create a better future for all our students.

Sincerely, 

Caitlin Fitz, Associate Professor of History 
Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, Professor of Political Science and Religious Studies 
Kate Masur, Professor of History and Board of Visitors Professor
Susan Pearson, Professor of History 
Amy Stanley, Wayne V. Jones II Research Professor of History 
Jessica Winegar, Professor of Anthropology"