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Pat Fitzgerald fired: Social media reacts to news out of Northwestern

Andrew Olson

By Andrew Olson

Published:

Pat Fitzgerald’s Northwestern tenure has come to an end. Over a span of 4 days, Fitzgerald’s status as the Wildcats head football coach changed from suspended for 2 weeks during the offseason to terminated from his position.

As news of Fitzgerald’s firing sent shockwaves across the college football world, reactions poured in on social media. Many college football followers are stunned by the timeline. Some media members reflected on Fitzgerald’s accomplishments, remembering when it appeared he could potentially depart for a more enticing job in the Power 5. There was, as expected, high praise for the student reporters of The Daily Northwestern who brought to light disturbing details of the alleged hazing within Fitzgerald’s program.

Here’s a small sample of the social reaction:

A Northwestern football player from 1993-to-1996, Fitzgerald got into coaching in 1998. He returned to his alma mater in 2001 as defensive backs coach. He became the Wildcats’ head coach in 2006.

In his Northwestern tenure, Fitzgerald posted a 110-101 record including a 5-5 mark in 10 bowl games. The Wildcats won the B1G West in 2018 and 2020.

Andrew Olson

A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.