Northwestern and former football coach Pat Fitzgerald reached a settlement Thursday regarding Fitzgerald’s wrongful termination lawsuit against the university, sources tell CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Fitzgerald, who was seeking $130 million, initially filed the suit in October 2023 after he was fired in July of that year when reports emerged of alleged hazing incidents that occurred in the football program under his watch.
Fitzgerald was initially suspended by the university for two weeks without pay, but Northwestern revisited the decision and ultimately terminated his employment after two former players came forward with details of the alleged hazing activities in an interview with The Daily Northwestern. Several former players filed lawsuits against Fitzgerald and the university.
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Fitzgerald, who has not made a return to coaching since, spent 17 years at Northwestern’s helm, making him one of the longest-tenured coaches in college football at the time of his firing. He was also an assistant for the Wildcats from 2001-05 and he played linebacker at Northwestern from 1993-96, where he was a two-time unanimous All-American and Chuck Bednarik Award winner.
During his tenure as coach, he amassed a 110-101 record with a 5-5 showing in bowl games and two appearances in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Northwestern promoted newly hired defensive coordinator David Braun in the wake of Fitzgerald’s firing. Braun, the 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year, is 12-13 in his two seasons with the Wildcats.
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