The job Pat Fitzgerald did at Northwestern in 2020 is not going unnoticed. The head coach has received another national honor following the Wildcats’ 7-2 season.

Fitzgerald was named the winner of the Stallings Award, which is presented annual to the NCAA Division I head coach who is an exceptional humanitarian and coach. Fitzgerald becomes just the second B1G head coach to claim the award, along with former Michigan State leader Mark Dantonio who was named the winner in 2016.

From the Stallings Award website:

The Stallings Award is awarded annually to a college head football coach who is both a humanitarian and an exceptional coach. Named in honor of Gene Stallings to pay tribute to his son Johnny and those who triumph no matter their circumstances. They make a difference in the lives of their players and the communities in which they live.

Northwestern had incredible bounce-back year in 2020 after finishing with a 3-9 record in 2019. The Wildcats rounded out the regular season with a 6-1 mark, with the lone loss coming on the road to Michigan State.

It marked the second time in three seasons Northwestern won a B1G West title and competed in the B1G Championship Game against Ohio State. Despite owning a halftime lead, the Wildcats fell 22-10 to the Buckeyes.

To close out the season, Northwestern defeated Auburn in the Citrus Bowl to finish 7-2.

Fitzgerald was also named the winner of the 2020 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.