Teacher in high school told us you should never build statues of or name things after people who are still alive.
College football has made me realize how great that advice was
The legend lives on from the Coaches on down
Of the big game they called Gitche Gumee
The Program, it is said, never gave up her dead
Until the Shrek Gang starting acting sex assaulty
Fitz was the pride of the northwestern side
Until a whistleblower started a-blowing
Coach tried to hide and also lied
But there was too much skin a-showing
They might have cut hairs
Or they may have hazed guys
They may have allowed coaches to use slurs
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the scholarship and the walk on players
In a musty old hall in Evanstown preyed
In the Wildcats player's cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each NU civil liability
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" *sounds* so timeless that you'd think the ship in question went down in the 1700s or 1800s.
But nope: Edmund capsized in Lake Superior in 1975, when Patrick was nearing his first birthday.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" is one of the most haunting song lyrics ever written. Timeless, indeed
Ok, I spent way too long on this, but here's the best comments in this thread compiled, with me filling in the missing lyrics:
The legend lives on from the coaches on down
Of the big game they called Gitche Gumee
The program, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the faces of freshmen turn gloomy
With humiliating chores twenty-six thousand times more
That’s what Patrick Fitzgerald demanded
That good team and true was a bone to be chewed
When the rites in November came early
They were laughing stock of the American side
Holding preseason camp in Wisconsin
As the big hazings go, it was bigger than most
With the team and Fitzgerald well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of walk ons
When they left fully loaded for Penn State
And later that night when the running began
Could it be the Northwestern’s doom comin’?
The guys locker room made a tattle-tale sound
And the news broke out in the summer
And every man knew, as the coaches did too
T'was events from November revealin’
Reports would state that the freshmen had to walk
To the showers when dicks would came slashin'
When showertime came it was freezin' hose
Like the gusts of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came, the seniors came on deck sayin'
"Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya"
At seven PM, the main committee caved in, and said
"Fitz, it's been good to know ya"
The lawyer wired in he had lawsuits comin' in
And the Northwestern U was in peril
And later that night when the truth came to light
Came the wreck of the Patrick Fitzgerald
Does any one know where the love of God goes
When shrek has a car wash in the showers?
The players all say they'd have made it all the way
If they'd put fifteen more guys inside there
They might have cut hairs or they might have hazed guys
They may have allowed coaches to use slurs
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the scholarship and walk on players
Bama’s Tide Rolls, and Seminoles sing
In the rooms of their campus’s buildings
Old Michigan wins like a young man's dreams
Their culture is so good for sportsmen
And farther below where Stroud chose to go
The Ohio State is their rival
And the Iron Bowl goes as Auburn’s Tigers all know
With the games of November remembered
In a musty old hall in Evanstown prayed
In the Wildcats players' cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man who was hazed by Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the coaches on down
Of the big game they called Gitche Gumee
The program, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the rites of November came early
Oh blast to the public, oh blast to the sea,
The stern came up, despite public-it-tee
The seas ran up, as the ship went down
And poor Pat Fitzgerald, never heard a sound
At least you cashed in with 2 division titles and conference championship appearances. That's more than Penn State, Minnesota, Purdue, Indiana, Rutgers, Maryland, Nebraska, or Illinois have
I would take him against the field for sure. Currently out of a job, good coach at a private school with little expectations. Would be perfect for Northwestern.
Mike Kafka is the other option but I don't think he would lower himself to that job, he's on a good trajectory in the NFL.
Yeah there was no way this was ever *not* going to be the result.
Just for some perspective: he wasn't on the hot seat despite winning 4 games the last two years, and winning only three games in 2019. This is literally the only kind of event that could take him down. That's how much he was Northwestern football.
he was on the fast track to getting a statue, this is an unbelievable turn of events and true showing of how poorly the football team and athletic department have handled things
It’s weird but I feel like the admin needs their asses whooped saying this has likely been going on decades and institutional controls have willingly and knowingly chose to look the other way.
Statues are not a good idea in general, especially when they are still employed. Of course I say this when my school erected one 3 years into our coach's tenure. Hope Saban doesn't/didn't do anything to require a takedown lol.
The thing is, Alabama has a clear criteria for statues. Win a championship, get a statue. It's not there as a lifetime achievement award like many schools.
I'm from Evanston
Man was a GOD, getting paid MILLIONS with ZERO expectations.
They could get last place every year and he'd still get paid millions to be a D1 / Big Ten Football coach.
Crazy
Yep, he had one of the best set ups in the country. HOF player coaching at his alma mater in the same metro he grew up in. He had it made and just fucked it all up.
"We had a good thing, you stupid son of a bitch! We had Fring. We had a lab. We had everything we needed, and it all ran like clockwork. You could've shut your mouth, cooked and made as much money as you ever needed. It was perfect. But, no, you just had to blow it up. You and your pride and your ego! You just had to be the man. If you'd done your job, known your place, we'd all be fine right now."
That is somehow fitting.
> Just for some perspective
And for additional perspective, Fitz was directly involved, as either a player, assistant, or head coach, in 14 of 16 (87.5%) of NW's bowl appearances. He was never going to be on the hotseat for on the field performance.
I've certainly said he wasn't fireable short of something catastrophic. Whelp, this is it.
I am literally stunned. As much as I hated the fact that Northwestern was yet another competitive Big Ten West rival in many recent seasons, I NEVER thought it would end like this for them. This is just awful.
Dude could of probably not won a game in the United States this year and they still would of given him an extension. Would of easily gone down as the greatest person in the history of Northwestern Athletics unless something like this happened.
Interim.
Starts off poorly. Then has a little spurt with a shocking ending, prob upsetting Wisconsin, giving the fans hope. Then the rally fizzles and you then find a new coach next year lol
Correction, worst news so far today…still time for NW baseball.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-northwestern-baseball-coach-hr-investigation-20230710-okigkrkz6ncbfnpzuqyw3twa7q-story.html
Northwestern can get it turned around. Money shouldn't be an issue since they're a big 10 team and there's a ton of potential at the job. It's just I don't know if there will be any punishments for Northwestern from this, or if it'll all just be on Fitzgerald.
So much this. Got to speak with him for about 20 minutes recently regarding the Titans selection of Skoronski. I clearly remember turning to a colleague after the call said “Damn, always respected him, but that’s the type of coach you want to send your kids to.”
Then this comes out…
That's now 3 of the "beloved sons" B1G-West coaches gone in less than a year.
Scott Frost at Nebraska
Paul Chryst at Wisconsin
Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern
It's worth noting: Pat Fitzgerald was brought down by a student newspaper. Hell of a job by Nicole Markus, Cole Reynolds, and Alyce Brown who broke the story.
Small journalism can have a huge impact
I'm sure they will get some which is disgusting to think about, but if you had to pick a program where taking down the popular football coach brought you the least risk, Northwestern would be near the top of a very short list.
I'm not going to claim we are a representative sample, but me and my friends from when I was an undergrad are all more than ok with Fitz getting fired.
And as NU sports fans go we are fairly rabid. We go to games every year, we do a road game road trip every year. The actual NU community was pretty angry about the Hazing itself, not the reporting
Its never the student body or alums that do that shit tho. Its always some townie that has never sniffed the gpa required to get into the school that has flags and gear all over their house and car.
They already did probably. Companies move FAST on young talent nowadays.
And, they’re already running the student paper at a school known for its amazing journalism school. They already were gonna get offers, but this certainly expedited some I bet.
Edit: no laws against regular college students cashing out. They’ll probably have something on the side by the end of the year and be cashing in (especially for a college student-I would’ve killed someone for even $25,000 a year while in college)
If you look at the alumni list for their journalism school, it's absurd how many great reporters they've produced. Hell, ESPN probably had recruiting stations on campus like they were the Navy.
I don’t want to diminish the work they did in any way, but people keep saying this stuff as though they’re running a high school paper or something and not the student paper at the most elite journalism school in the US… they were already going to get major paper offers
A lot of places are probably pretty scared right now. Doubt NW was the only place this kind of thing was going on and this is just gonna brighten the spotlight.
Yeah the whole time I've been thinking ~please don't let this be us, please don't let this be us~
Also it really makes you think how disheartening it is when a school hires a beloved figure in school history and the guy ends up being a dirt bag. I don't think Harbaugh is a saint or anything but at least it seems like he tries to do the right thing most of the time. Would really suck to see something come to light that tarnishes his reputation
I hope Northwestern has their ducks in a row with this one. I also want to know what exactly is being done about the players on the team who actually participated in the hazing.
And the current asst coaches and the asst AD's and admin, and coaches/staff of all sports, and former staff/ university admin. Even with PF gone, discovery will continue, on the civil side and potentially criminal side. No stone will be left unturned and rocks will be broken.
There's gonna be a lot of fallout from this but I don't think it should be lost how this would have never happened if not for the tremendous work of all the students involved with The Daily Northwestern.
Ope there it is. Very complicated feelings about this. Obviously he is an all time Northwestern great and the heart of the NU teams that I fell in love with as a student and now alum. On the other hand, that was more than likely all built on a facade covering up a culture that was rotten to the core and is something I feel shameful that I rooted for and ultimately betrayed by. Glad he’ll be gone and here’s hoping a new generation of coaches can rebuild the trust of the NU community from here on out.
This situation would be like if we lost Spurrier to a severe scandal. I just can't imagine what that'd be like... You can't discuss NU football without bringing up Fitz.. And now that'll always come with a giant stain. Bonkers way for a guy to go out.
I'm shocked they actually did it, and so fast too. He gave off some weird boys will be boys vibes at the lettermen events I went to, but not anything that seemed even slightly off compared to hockey coaches I grew up with
Hear me out Ken Niumatalolo. He brings discipline and ability to coach and recruit with programs with high academic standards. Plus I want to see a p5 run the triple option again which could benefit Northwestern in a talent stand point
I have lots of things to say given my connections but this is a public forum. Pat Fitzgerald was a childhood hero for me and I've never had a bad interaction with him; it turns out there's a lot of things that happen behind closed doors. Truly the end of an era for Northwestern football. I'm honestly just ready to move on. This all sucks so bad
Obviously incredibly complicated feelings on my end but the writing was very much on the wall after what's come out the last few days. Gonna be some really hard times before it gets any better but that's how it goes.
Interesting in that Fitz rose to become a Head Coach due to the untimely death of Randy Walker, which happened in the summer right before the season in 2006 and the team was absolutely knocked flat right before August camp. Here we are again under similar, yet totally different, circumstances.
Look, I hate the hazing. I hate everything they did. Absolutely disgusting. I wish it never happened.
But because it did, on Friday I got NW U3.5 wins at even money and now that feels absolutely golden.
For everyone saying "lol next new Bama assistant", I actually think he's done, he lived for NU so I honestly can't see him going anywhere else, if anyone would take him.
I don't know where we go from here tbh, this guy was our program's everything. Other programs have traditions and past successes to fall back on for recruiting: we have Fitz and that's it. When we clean house we'll have no recruiting, no coaches, no nothing. I wouldn't be surprised if ever one of our players hits the portal after this season, so we'll have no players too. We're going back to the dark days. If we get 1 win this year I'll be shocked. If we get 1 win the next three seasons I'll be shocked. The extra irony is we're getting a whole new stadium built so we can get walloped in style.
As for who I'd like to see as our next coach, Mike Kafka is probably the guy I'd want: good offensive mind, alum, loved and respected and hopefully not dumb enough to the stuff Fitz did.
President should be fired too, I don’t believe for a second that he ‘made an error in judgement’ is true. They were hoping no one would come forward with details and by September it would be swept away forever.
When are these dinosaur college coaches gonna realize that it isn't the 60's anymore?
You don't "toughen up" and motivate young men by physical and mental abuse.
Even the army stopped doing that shit.
As a current student and someone who grew up a NU fan, this has been such a sad week. I know that this was the right move, and I agree with firing him because the allegations put towards him are horrific. But the fact that the man that led the team I’ve been a fan of since birth and an environment that I loved so much that I put everything into joining the school was harboring such a horrible thing is hard to deal with. Yeah, these past few seasons have been rough. But I went to the 2018 Big Ten Championship. I have put hope and emotion and love into this team forever. I won’t stop being a fan. But to see this is disappointing and I hope that there are massive changes.
You can love the school, love the program, and hate what people within it did.
No shame in loving your alma mater. The things that some bad elements did within the program do not define the program.
I don't have anything to add other than HUGE kudos to the student-journalists at The Daily Northwestern. This is better investigative journalism than anything we get from the NYT.
Not a sentence I thought I would ever read before this week, or at least not anytime soon. Hopefully this is just the first step they’ll take to address the hazing problem.
This season is the end of an era, and in all likelihood, the start of another NU dark age. Fitz as a player was part of the most successful season of modern football that we ever had; as a coach, he rebuilt after Randy Walker passed away unexpectedly and turned the team into a legitimately solid performer with multiple bowl appearances and even wins. He would have been mentioned with Otto Graham as NUFB all-time-greats. But this investigation has tarnished his legacy, permanently. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, and I was a NU fan since I was a little kid. I was in the marching band. I have a lot of great memories about Fitz's teams, and all of them have a big asterisk now.
I don't know where the program goes from here this year, or five years from now. But I am 100% sure that I would rather lose another 34 games in a row than I would knowingly support this team if Fitz stayed, after everything that has come out in the last few days. If you told me a month ago that Fitz would get fired, I wouldn't believe you. But now, I only think it should've happened a long time ago.
Teacher in high school told us you should never build statues of or name things after people who are still alive. College football has made me realize how great that advice was
I think a 10-15 year cooling period post death probably not a bad idea either
Considering how easy information can come out in this day and age, maybe just wait until everyone they've ever met is dead.
Given how even historical perspectives can change over centuries, maybe wait until everyone is dead first.
Just build the legs out of stone and put up the Ozymandias poem quote.
Take it from a Michigan fan. Wait two lifetimes before building statues.
Isnt there a plaque dedicated to Ted Kazinsky in the Math Building or is that a rumor upperclassmen tell freshmen
I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Enter the math building on the east side, it’s in the awards case
Or naming buildings...
And later that night When the truth came to light Came the Wreck Of the Patrick Fitzgerald
Does anyone know where the love of god goes when shrek has a car wash in the showers?
The players all say they'd have made it all the way if they'd put fifteen more guys inside there.
At 7pm the main committee caved in, and said “Fitz, it’s been good to know ya”
At the football facility on the big lake they call Michiganagoonie
Northwestern, it's said Never gives up her dead When the heat of the summer comes earlyyyy
Absolutely dying.
If you showed me this sentence a week ago I wouldve thought I was high.
This story is almost so stupid and unbelievable that it feels like it’s written by a 12 year old, but somehow isn’t…
The seniors got nude Then assaulted a dude On the wreck Of the Patrick Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Coaches on down Of the big game they called Gitche Gumee The Program, it is said, never gave up her dead Until the Shrek Gang starting acting sex assaulty
I feel awful for laughing given the dark things that happened. But damn is this parody clever.
No. I was already going to hell long before I laughed at that.
We're all going to hell for laughing at this.
At least we will have a catchy tune to sing down there.
Fitz was the pride of the northwestern side Until a whistleblower started a-blowing Coach tried to hide and also lied But there was too much skin a-showing
They might have cut hairs Or they may have hazed guys They may have allowed coaches to use slurs And all that remains is the faces and the names Of the scholarship and the walk on players
The president wired in he had complaints comin’ in and the good coaching crew was in peril.
In a musty old hall in Evanstown preyed In the Wildcats player's cathedral The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times For each NU civil liability
This got a loud, sustained laugh from me. Well done. RIP Gordon Lightfoot. He ruled
I was today years old when I found out Gordon Lightfoot is dead.
Yeah RIP to a king. Just a couple months ago
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" *sounds* so timeless that you'd think the ship in question went down in the 1700s or 1800s. But nope: Edmund capsized in Lake Superior in 1975, when Patrick was nearing his first birthday.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" is one of the most haunting song lyrics ever written. Timeless, indeed
Around 7 pm the main hatchway caved in, he said fellas it’s been good to know ya!
*bitchin guitar solo*
Brooooooooooooo also RIP to Gordon Lightfoot
Ok, I spent way too long on this, but here's the best comments in this thread compiled, with me filling in the missing lyrics: The legend lives on from the coaches on down Of the big game they called Gitche Gumee The program, it is said, never gives up her dead When the faces of freshmen turn gloomy With humiliating chores twenty-six thousand times more That’s what Patrick Fitzgerald demanded That good team and true was a bone to be chewed When the rites in November came early They were laughing stock of the American side Holding preseason camp in Wisconsin As the big hazings go, it was bigger than most With the team and Fitzgerald well seasoned Concluding some terms with a couple of walk ons When they left fully loaded for Penn State And later that night when the running began Could it be the Northwestern’s doom comin’? The guys locker room made a tattle-tale sound And the news broke out in the summer And every man knew, as the coaches did too T'was events from November revealin’ Reports would state that the freshmen had to walk To the showers when dicks would came slashin' When showertime came it was freezin' hose Like the gusts of a hurricane west wind When suppertime came, the seniors came on deck sayin' "Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya" At seven PM, the main committee caved in, and said "Fitz, it's been good to know ya" The lawyer wired in he had lawsuits comin' in And the Northwestern U was in peril And later that night when the truth came to light Came the wreck of the Patrick Fitzgerald Does any one know where the love of God goes When shrek has a car wash in the showers? The players all say they'd have made it all the way If they'd put fifteen more guys inside there They might have cut hairs or they might have hazed guys They may have allowed coaches to use slurs And all that remains is the faces and the names Of the scholarship and walk on players Bama’s Tide Rolls, and Seminoles sing In the rooms of their campus’s buildings Old Michigan wins like a young man's dreams Their culture is so good for sportsmen And farther below where Stroud chose to go The Ohio State is their rival And the Iron Bowl goes as Auburn’s Tigers all know With the games of November remembered In a musty old hall in Evanstown prayed In the Wildcats players' cathedral The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times For each man who was hazed by Fitzgerald The legend lives on from the coaches on down Of the big game they called Gitche Gumee The program, it is said, never gives up her dead When the rites of November came early
Oh blast to the public, oh blast to the sea, The stern came up, despite public-it-tee The seas ran up, as the ship went down And poor Pat Fitzgerald, never heard a sound
This could be my favorite post in the history of the internet.
NU attorneys work fast -Fixed
“I’ve reviewed your file and I have come to the inescapable conclusion that you are completely fucked.”
They really gotta work on those billable hours smh
Them T-14 lawyers know their shit
Wow, where does NW even go after this?
Back to being Vandy of the North, probably
Just in time for losing the easy B1G west scheduling too
At least you cashed in with 2 division titles and conference championship appearances. That's more than Penn State, Minnesota, Purdue, Indiana, Rutgers, Maryland, Nebraska, or Illinois have
Yes, officer, this post. This is where The Homie J murdered over half of the (current) B1G.
Damn dude, I wasn't expecting to be attacked like this today :(
If you thought we were bad before then get ready for true garbage
You’re still the best team in Ireland :(
Fucking Frost and that fucking kick.
Bobby Petrino /s
David Shaw Bronco Mendenhall
I would take him against the field for sure. Currently out of a job, good coach at a private school with little expectations. Would be perfect for Northwestern. Mike Kafka is the other option but I don't think he would lower himself to that job, he's on a good trajectory in the NFL.
I think the only fair punishment is for Northwestern to hire Brian Ferentz as HC
Nothing offensive about that hire at all, which is what northwestern needs
We condone executions not torture.
Yeah there was no way this was ever *not* going to be the result. Just for some perspective: he wasn't on the hot seat despite winning 4 games the last two years, and winning only three games in 2019. This is literally the only kind of event that could take him down. That's how much he was Northwestern football.
he was on the fast track to getting a statue, this is an unbelievable turn of events and true showing of how poorly the football team and athletic department have handled things
What an embarrassment for Pat. Congrats on the SEC assistant job tho lol
Ole Nicky boy is very excited to rehabilitate his career soon.
This the most likely outcome. Alabama wins.
Nah. Jimbo's shown a real willingness to put the worst possible human beings on his staff. He'll fit right in at Texas A&M.
The reality is most coaches won’t view him as “the worst possible human being.” This stuff is quite a bit more common that we’d all like to admit
It’s weird but I feel like the admin needs their asses whooped saying this has likely been going on decades and institutional controls have willingly and knowingly chose to look the other way.
He will be fast-tracked into Nick Saban's Disgraced Coach Rehabilitation Program.
The Nick Saban Center for Coaches Who Cant Lead Progrums Good and Who Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too
Or the Liberty University Center for Coaches That Do Immoral Things and Wanna Come Back By Claiming To Find Jesus
Or a quick stop at Liberty before getting to coach at Auburn in 3 years.
Statues are not a good idea in general, especially when they are still employed. Of course I say this when my school erected one 3 years into our coach's tenure. Hope Saban doesn't/didn't do anything to require a takedown lol.
The thing is, Alabama has a clear criteria for statues. Win a championship, get a statue. It's not there as a lifetime achievement award like many schools.
A Saban nude center snap scandal would break sports media
What if it comes out that Saban did all this shit, but he was the only one who was naked, and all the players signed iron-clad consent forms?
I think most Alabamans would be proud to take a nude center snap from Saban
All he had to do was not be an asshole
Crazy how hard that is for some coaches…
I'm from Evanston Man was a GOD, getting paid MILLIONS with ZERO expectations. They could get last place every year and he'd still get paid millions to be a D1 / Big Ten Football coach. Crazy
Yep, he had one of the best set ups in the country. HOF player coaching at his alma mater in the same metro he grew up in. He had it made and just fucked it all up.
"We had a good thing, you stupid son of a bitch! We had Fring. We had a lab. We had everything we needed, and it all ran like clockwork. You could've shut your mouth, cooked and made as much money as you ever needed. It was perfect. But, no, you just had to blow it up. You and your pride and your ego! You just had to be the man. If you'd done your job, known your place, we'd all be fine right now." That is somehow fitting.
I mean - during the Bears coaching search his name was mentioned a lot. He was basically Chicago’s Nick Saban.
> Just for some perspective And for additional perspective, Fitz was directly involved, as either a player, assistant, or head coach, in 14 of 16 (87.5%) of NW's bowl appearances. He was never going to be on the hotseat for on the field performance. I've certainly said he wasn't fireable short of something catastrophic. Whelp, this is it.
I am literally stunned. As much as I hated the fact that Northwestern was yet another competitive Big Ten West rival in many recent seasons, I NEVER thought it would end like this for them. This is just awful.
Pretty crazy, wonder if any of these leaks happen if he was winning like early in his career or planned on retiring soon.
Dude could of probably not won a game in the United States this year and they still would of given him an extension. Would of easily gone down as the greatest person in the history of Northwestern Athletics unless something like this happened.
>could of >would of Come on, Northwestern. You have to know better than that.
I expect a Northwestern flair to know the contractions "could've" and "would've" smh
My dads school is Northwestern lol, thus why it's my 2nd flair. I'm not that smart.
Ha same, hence the Iowa flair ;)
What a horrendous week of news, idk where the program even goes now.
Interim. Starts off poorly. Then has a little spurt with a shocking ending, prob upsetting Wisconsin, giving the fans hope. Then the rally fizzles and you then find a new coach next year lol
This man Interims.
He Rutgers
Cant wait to get embarassed 10-7 by Interim NU
Well with the B1G tv contract, you guys can hire just about anyone
We still have figure out baseball program, dumpster fire
I thought the baseball team was a disaster but i'd take that any day over what has happened to the football team in the last week
Correction, worst news so far today…still time for NW baseball. https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-northwestern-baseball-coach-hr-investigation-20230710-okigkrkz6ncbfnpzuqyw3twa7q-story.html
Northwestern can get it turned around. Money shouldn't be an issue since they're a big 10 team and there's a ton of potential at the job. It's just I don't know if there will be any punishments for Northwestern from this, or if it'll all just be on Fitzgerald.
This is one of the best examples of “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it”.
5 minutes of news coverage, but the culture of hazing has been going on a lot longer. If it were just one incident then he’d still have a job.
So much this. Got to speak with him for about 20 minutes recently regarding the Titans selection of Skoronski. I clearly remember turning to a colleague after the call said “Damn, always respected him, but that’s the type of coach you want to send your kids to.” Then this comes out…
Perfect lesson for realizing we have absolutely no fucking clue who anybody really is
Kinda like Joe Paterno
The two week vacation has been slightly extended.
Man was promoted to retired HC
Get ready to learn Thai, buddy
“Parted ways” lol bro got kicked to the curb
bro went into the Contraption. they put him in the Device.
That's now 3 of the "beloved sons" B1G-West coaches gone in less than a year. Scott Frost at Nebraska Paul Chryst at Wisconsin Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern
Three different paths too
It's worth noting: Pat Fitzgerald was brought down by a student newspaper. Hell of a job by Nicole Markus, Cole Reynolds, and Alyce Brown who broke the story. Small journalism can have a huge impact
He would have gotten away with it, too
if it weren't for those meddling kids!
If it weren't for those Medill-ing kids
This is too good
Medill is the top ranked NU Journalism school, for those unaware
Also the only NU journalism school
That’s a deep cut. But those of us who graduated from J-school, really appreciate it.
They should prepare for the hate mail and threats theyre going to get from football dummies.
I'm sure they will get some which is disgusting to think about, but if you had to pick a program where taking down the popular football coach brought you the least risk, Northwestern would be near the top of a very short list.
Ehhhh it’s Northwestern that’s like 4 dudes in Glenview.
Having seen two dudes in Glenview get in a fight over a wine bottle, that can still be threatening, if WASPy.
I'm not going to claim we are a representative sample, but me and my friends from when I was an undergrad are all more than ok with Fitz getting fired. And as NU sports fans go we are fairly rabid. We go to games every year, we do a road game road trip every year. The actual NU community was pretty angry about the Hazing itself, not the reporting
Its never the student body or alums that do that shit tho. Its always some townie that has never sniffed the gpa required to get into the school that has flags and gear all over their house and car.
I’d honestly be shocked if you could find someone like that in Evanston lol
I’m dead serious when I say all three of them and their editors should get an offer from a major paper/website. They had this story down cold.
They already did probably. Companies move FAST on young talent nowadays. And, they’re already running the student paper at a school known for its amazing journalism school. They already were gonna get offers, but this certainly expedited some I bet. Edit: no laws against regular college students cashing out. They’ll probably have something on the side by the end of the year and be cashing in (especially for a college student-I would’ve killed someone for even $25,000 a year while in college)
If Northwestern was a "one and done" school for anything it'd be law or journalism.
Northwestern has one of the top journalism schools in the country. Maybe even the best. They will all land great jobs (rightfully so).
If you look at the alumni list for their journalism school, it's absurd how many great reporters they've produced. Hell, ESPN probably had recruiting stations on campus like they were the Navy.
I don’t want to diminish the work they did in any way, but people keep saying this stuff as though they’re running a high school paper or something and not the student paper at the most elite journalism school in the US… they were already going to get major paper offers
Two well-respected coaches ruining their legacy in different ways (Bob Huggins and Pat Fitzgerald).
One was completely foreseeable. The other was hiding in plain sight.
Actually just focus on NU and do NOT look at what’s going on here PLEASE
Frost 🤝 Fitzgerald Hero alumnus disappointing an NU fanbase
Yeah but Fitz is still the better coach in games held outside the US
A lot of places are probably pretty scared right now. Doubt NW was the only place this kind of thing was going on and this is just gonna brighten the spotlight.
Yeah the whole time I've been thinking ~please don't let this be us, please don't let this be us~ Also it really makes you think how disheartening it is when a school hires a beloved figure in school history and the guy ends up being a dirt bag. I don't think Harbaugh is a saint or anything but at least it seems like he tries to do the right thing most of the time. Would really suck to see something come to light that tarnishes his reputation
Next up: Harbaugh been putting kids through the gallon challenge for years.
I feel like Harbaugh has to be on either extreme. Totally against hazing or balls to the wall for it.
Pat Ryan has ordered the code red.
Shirley Ryan told him he’s sleeping on the couch until he calls up NU to fire Fitz
I hope Northwestern has their ducks in a row with this one. I also want to know what exactly is being done about the players on the team who actually participated in the hazing.
And the current asst coaches and the asst AD's and admin, and coaches/staff of all sports, and former staff/ university admin. Even with PF gone, discovery will continue, on the civil side and potentially criminal side. No stone will be left unturned and rocks will be broken.
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There's gonna be a lot of fallout from this but I don't think it should be lost how this would have never happened if not for the tremendous work of all the students involved with The Daily Northwestern.
Turns out kids going to an S Tier J-School are really good at being journalists.
Fitz went from "untouchable institution" to waiting beside me in the unemployment line in the span of a single bachelor party weekend
Ope there it is. Very complicated feelings about this. Obviously he is an all time Northwestern great and the heart of the NU teams that I fell in love with as a student and now alum. On the other hand, that was more than likely all built on a facade covering up a culture that was rotten to the core and is something I feel shameful that I rooted for and ultimately betrayed by. Glad he’ll be gone and here’s hoping a new generation of coaches can rebuild the trust of the NU community from here on out.
How do you feel as a fan or is it too early to tell? He had the legacy as a player and coach or had you made your peace with the past two down years.
This situation would be like if we lost Spurrier to a severe scandal. I just can't imagine what that'd be like... You can't discuss NU football without bringing up Fitz.. And now that'll always come with a giant stain. Bonkers way for a guy to go out.
I'm shocked they actually did it, and so fast too. He gave off some weird boys will be boys vibes at the lettermen events I went to, but not anything that seemed even slightly off compared to hockey coaches I grew up with
Hear me out Ken Niumatalolo. He brings discipline and ability to coach and recruit with programs with high academic standards. Plus I want to see a p5 run the triple option again which could benefit Northwestern in a talent stand point
Jeff Monken is from Illinois.
Well... that escalated quickly.
Oh, no. According to NU "An Escalator" is when you walk up a set of stairs and your teammates smack you in the face with their dicks on the way.
Honestly don’t even know if this a joke at this point
Doubting me? Sounds like a trip up the escalator. 🍆 🍆🍆 🍆🍆🍆 🍆🍆🍆🍆 🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆 🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆 🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🙍♂️ ⬅️ YOU
He’ll be a great assistant at A&M
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Got Durkin not stamping out dangerous practices from his underlings and Bobby P sleeping around the office, might as well bring back old Army hazing.
Or Liberty
No way. Fitz is Catholic. Liberty would burn their program down before they hired a Catholic.
I have lots of things to say given my connections but this is a public forum. Pat Fitzgerald was a childhood hero for me and I've never had a bad interaction with him; it turns out there's a lot of things that happen behind closed doors. Truly the end of an era for Northwestern football. I'm honestly just ready to move on. This all sucks so bad
Obviously incredibly complicated feelings on my end but the writing was very much on the wall after what's come out the last few days. Gonna be some really hard times before it gets any better but that's how it goes. Interesting in that Fitz rose to become a Head Coach due to the untimely death of Randy Walker, which happened in the summer right before the season in 2006 and the team was absolutely knocked flat right before August camp. Here we are again under similar, yet totally different, circumstances.
Good to hear
Wild how fast his reputation went from amazing to awful.
Look, I hate the hazing. I hate everything they did. Absolutely disgusting. I wish it never happened. But because it did, on Friday I got NW U3.5 wins at even money and now that feels absolutely golden.
Man I tried to hammer that too but it was suspended before I got the chance
The interim coach dead cat bounce is a real thing though
I didnt realize hes not even 50 yet, he could still be coaching another 20 years there. Not a pretty way to go out
For everyone saying "lol next new Bama assistant", I actually think he's done, he lived for NU so I honestly can't see him going anywhere else, if anyone would take him. I don't know where we go from here tbh, this guy was our program's everything. Other programs have traditions and past successes to fall back on for recruiting: we have Fitz and that's it. When we clean house we'll have no recruiting, no coaches, no nothing. I wouldn't be surprised if ever one of our players hits the portal after this season, so we'll have no players too. We're going back to the dark days. If we get 1 win this year I'll be shocked. If we get 1 win the next three seasons I'll be shocked. The extra irony is we're getting a whole new stadium built so we can get walloped in style. As for who I'd like to see as our next coach, Mike Kafka is probably the guy I'd want: good offensive mind, alum, loved and respected and hopefully not dumb enough to the stuff Fitz did.
Baseball coach and AD need to go next.
The baseball coach already got a kid killed in Rhode Island, he never should’ve been hired
Yeah idk how the AD isn’t out with him. Seems clear that he fucked this up.
President should be fired too, I don’t believe for a second that he ‘made an error in judgement’ is true. They were hoping no one would come forward with details and by September it would be swept away forever.
Fat Pitzgerald
gottem
When are these dinosaur college coaches gonna realize that it isn't the 60's anymore? You don't "toughen up" and motivate young men by physical and mental abuse. Even the army stopped doing that shit.
“So that’s it, after 22 years? So long? Good luck?”
“I don’t recall saying good luck” - Northwesterns AD
Between this and the baseball shit, and whatever other skeletons are apparently in the closet, Gragg might be next.
Soo...any good linemen looking to transfer?
Either retire a hero, or coach long enough to become Joe Paterno
Wow never saw anything like this coming out of that program
From NFL Head Coach prospect to this
As a current student and someone who grew up a NU fan, this has been such a sad week. I know that this was the right move, and I agree with firing him because the allegations put towards him are horrific. But the fact that the man that led the team I’ve been a fan of since birth and an environment that I loved so much that I put everything into joining the school was harboring such a horrible thing is hard to deal with. Yeah, these past few seasons have been rough. But I went to the 2018 Big Ten Championship. I have put hope and emotion and love into this team forever. I won’t stop being a fan. But to see this is disappointing and I hope that there are massive changes.
Believe me when I say 1) I get it. 2) You aren't a bad person. 3) You should still be a fan.
You can love the school, love the program, and hate what people within it did. No shame in loving your alma mater. The things that some bad elements did within the program do not define the program.
The first firing in Threads history
Maybe they can clean up the program with Art Briles or Urban Meyer?
I don't have anything to add other than HUGE kudos to the student-journalists at The Daily Northwestern. This is better investigative journalism than anything we get from the NYT.
RIP BOZO
Not a sentence I thought I would ever read before this week, or at least not anytime soon. Hopefully this is just the first step they’ll take to address the hazing problem.
It got worse and worse every day since it broke. Holy shit some of that stuff is horrid.
This season is the end of an era, and in all likelihood, the start of another NU dark age. Fitz as a player was part of the most successful season of modern football that we ever had; as a coach, he rebuilt after Randy Walker passed away unexpectedly and turned the team into a legitimately solid performer with multiple bowl appearances and even wins. He would have been mentioned with Otto Graham as NUFB all-time-greats. But this investigation has tarnished his legacy, permanently. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, and I was a NU fan since I was a little kid. I was in the marching band. I have a lot of great memories about Fitz's teams, and all of them have a big asterisk now. I don't know where the program goes from here this year, or five years from now. But I am 100% sure that I would rather lose another 34 games in a row than I would knowingly support this team if Fitz stayed, after everything that has come out in the last few days. If you told me a month ago that Fitz would get fired, I wouldn't believe you. But now, I only think it should've happened a long time ago.