With Pat Fitzgerald out, it will be up to newcomer David Braun to lead the Northwestern football program for this upcoming college season.
In news that shocked the entire college football world, Pat Fitzgerald is out at his alma mater.
The allegations that led to his dismissal are serious and very unsettling. His termination was justified, but man, he was the face of Northwestern football… We're talking about a hall-of-fame player and honestly, what could have been a hall-of-fame coach. Maybe your school is lucky enough to have one of these guys in your history? For now, Fitzgerald's image is sadly tarnished…
Coming off an 0-for-America season, Northwestern will now be led by David Braun in the interim.
Braun only just recently came over from North Dakota State to coordinate the Wildcats' defense. This is a tremendous opportunity for him, but his internal promotion is not without controversy.
Let's discuss what Northwestern is doing here by promoting Braun from within in mid-July.
Northwestern football: David Braun replaces Pat Fitzgerald as new head coach
I gotta be really honest with you, what else was Northwestern supposed to do in this situation? The university was left with no choice, but to promote a hotshot coordinator from within in the wake of Fitzgerald's termination. Given that he only had been on campus since January, he may not have been as connected to the serious allegations that led to Fitzgerald's dismissal originally.
In time, Northwestern may find a more suitable, long-term replacement. One name to watch is New York Giants offensive coordinator and former Wildcats legend Mike Kafka. He may be on the fast track toward becoming an NFL head coach soon, but when your alma mater is calling out in desperation, sometimes, you just have to go home. There should be other solid candidates as well.
For Braun, here is his golden opportunity to make the most of it. The ill-fated interim tag can be a label too tough to overcome. We have seen interims last year take over at key Power Five institutions, such as Brent Key at his alma mater of Georgia Tech and Zach Arnett taking over for the late, great Pirate Mike Leach at Mississippi State. Of course, this could have a Baylor feel to it.
Right now, Braun's promotion does not feel like an obvious placeholder when Jim Grobe transitioned Baylor out of the Art Briles scandal and into the Matt Rhule era. I do not know if this has the potential be a Dabo Swinney promotion from within, but that is the gold standard. The good news for Braun and his staff is Northwestern went 1-11 last year. They also have each other.
Nobody believes in Northwestern right now, so that is the greatest thing Braun has going for him.
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