Arrogance, a character issue. Arrogant people can accomplish a lot if they’re smart and work hard, but they make poor leaders.
Northwestern has fired coach Pat Fitzgerald
- Status
why would Jim Leonhard go anywhere near this?
Northwestern is screwed. They've always been toxic because of the academic requirements and the challenge that creates in recruiting. Now when you layer on this, they are going to go back to being awful. I don't think there's another alum that's going to step in and build them up to a contender. Say what you want about Fitzgerald, but he gave Northwestern that most sustained success they've ever had, and wasn't looking for the door after reaching that success. Don't think they'll find that again.
Illinivek23
- Gurnee
But he did seem to want to get out of there - ND, NFL. Will be interesting to see how he gets rehabbed
sbillini
- st petersburg, fl
Based on what my mad googling skillz tell me, he's not doing much else right now. Maybe he's waiting for the right offer to come along. But a Big Ten program with virtually zero expectations is probably not a bad place to spend a couple years to keep your visibility up and show you can do something with almost nothing. If he can get them to a bowl game, can probably easily use that as a springboard to something much more meaningful. It's not without risks, but a lot of risks in sitting and waiting for the right offer too (and at least you'll make a few million by taking the gig).
sbillini
- st petersburg, fl
not for coaches, but for the players, unless there's evidence the kid was a ringleader in the hazing, i'm fully supportive in giving them a second chance.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
eh
that was just his agent talking to get him a raise - I dont think the "talk" of him leaving was really all that serious
he was making close to 6 million per year there - not a bad gig, esp with low expectations of wins
I, for one, feel sorry for the Wildcats. I have a solution to their Head Coach dilemma going forward. I am willing to send them $100 towards hiring their new leader... Tim Beckman. I hope he is there for MANY years. What a leader of young men he was!!!
Ahhh… the old “witch hunt” claim. The last defense of the damned.
Witch hunt is such a tired phrase at this point. It's in the same vein as "cancel culture."
Doing bad things has consequences. I hope we all have the strength to speak up when we should.
Shane Walsh
aka "Captain Oblivious"
- Cynthiana, Kentucky
Well the problem is that based on the initial release, there wasn't believed to be reason to fire him just suspend him for two weeks in a dead period.
Now his legal team might argue he was not fired for cause because he was already "punished."
Fitz will never coach for NU again, the only play out is how much of his contract he gets, and then how long before he is accepted in to the Nick Saban Rehabilitation Program for Disgraced Head Coaches(TM).
Why would you love seeing them in trouble? of all the big ten schools I would love to see in trouble, the least one would be NU. Put Iowa on top.
Purdue
everyone else with NU last. They are no threat to us.
Exactly, the only people who ever talked about Fitzee to the Packers or to the Bears were Fitzee and his agent - it was always just nonsense.
He'll be working for ESPN by the end of the summer.
The Ryan family loves/loved Fitzgerald. He could just ask them for whatever he wanted. But still, this is probably true.
There are many aspects of this whole situation to be discussed, and have been rather thoroughly so far. But, I am wonderingg about the future of Northwestern athletics and the BIG? For almost 60 years NU has struggled to maintain competitive in the revenue sports. Even when they did have success, it seemed more like a one off. I recall the time when NU was put on "unofficial" notice that they needed to step up if they wanted to continue to receive the financial benfits as a member of the Big10. I know that the Big10 has always maintained the perception that they are an academic conferecne first. The University of Chicago is still a member of the Big10. Even with the expansiosn it has been a considration. I don't know if that will no longer be the case as the conferences migrate toward a new NCAA. Obviously, it is all driven by the money.
I believe this is going to result in a very prolonged period of sports Pergatory or Hell for NU. They are not going to participate in the NIL like the other schools, they will not get the coaches they need (IMO, Chris Collins is going to get a better offer soon), they are not going to be able to recruit the talent need to compete, the alumni and administration will maintain their "holier than thou" attitude, and they may not get their new stadium. That will impact the BIG as well.
Lots of unusual reorganizations going on, including schools being in a "conference" for some sports and not others, etc. Assuming the next round of BIG expansion is already in the works (it has to be), and NU goes a couple years of taking more than they contribute, is there a chance that the BIG reorganizes and NU is out as a football and basketball conferecne member? Maybe they belong in the MAC?
I believe this is going to result in a very prolonged period of sports Pergatory or Hell for NU. They are not going to participate in the NIL like the other schools, they will not get the coaches they need (IMO, Chris Collins is going to get a better offer soon), they are not going to be able to recruit the talent need to compete, the alumni and administration will maintain their "holier than thou" attitude, and they may not get their new stadium. That will impact the BIG as well.
Lots of unusual reorganizations going on, including schools being in a "conference" for some sports and not others, etc. Assuming the next round of BIG expansion is already in the works (it has to be), and NU goes a couple years of taking more than they contribute, is there a chance that the BIG reorganizes and NU is out as a football and basketball conferecne member? Maybe they belong in the MAC?
I can see a type like Lovie Smith…end of career, wants to hire all his kids as asst coaches
Or someone like Bill Cubit…longtime asst, head coach at G5 or maybe never was a head coach, and wants to hire his kids as asst coaches.
Or someone like Bill Cubit…longtime asst, head coach at G5 or maybe never was a head coach, and wants to hire his kids as asst coaches.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I’ll add two more cons:
1. Tepid support (fans, donors, university itself, etc.) for athletics.
2. Very low ceiling for picking up bandwagon fans when they’re rolling … doesn’t matter where they are geographically, “Average Joes” tend to adopt a state school way before an elite private one.
- Status