Northwestern football staffers appeared to honor disgraced former head coach Pat Fitzgerald at practice on Wednesday.
The Northwestern football program has undergone a period of tremendous turmoil after a hazing scandal resulted in the firing of longtime head coach Pat Fitzgerald. The 48-year-old had been at the reins in Evanston since 2006 and he holds the school's all-time record for wins.
Fitzgerald, a former player at NW, was in many ways the face of the program. Now, the program will look to build a better future under interim head coach David Braun. Of course, the news of Fitzgerald's departure rocked the entire university. It's not surprising that members of the coaching staff and others in the program were upset by his departure.
The outward support for Fitzgerald at Wednesday's Northwestern practice, however, is deeply troubling in context of the allegations made against Fitzgerald and the program, which include "forced participation, nudity, and sexualized acts of a degrading nature."
Northwestern football staffers appear to support ousted Pat Fitzgerald
Staff members, including offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, wore 'Cats Against the World' t-shirts with Fitzgerald's No. 51 on them at Wednesday's practice. It's a not-to-subtle message of support for the former head coach, who clearly has many backers in the locker room and around the athletic department.
Fitzgerald has denied any knowledge of the hazing at Northwestern, but it's impossible to separate a head coach from the culture around his program. It's clear the toxic environment at Northwestern has been a problem for years and Fitzgerald's departure is, without question, justified.
To voice support for Fitzgerald in this way is not only a discredit to the university, but it blatantly disrespects the many players who suffered abuse right under Fitzgerald's nose over the years. While the university and its fans will have to reckon with Fitzgerald's historic career and sudden ouster, it would have been inexcusable to keep him around. This kind of support is equally inexcusable, and could belie a need to clean house.
The athletic department at Northwestern has to get its priorities straight and make sure there's a unified message of support for the victims — not Fitzgerald — at future events. The reputation of the university and the football program is at stake.
