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Greg McElroy previews Northwestern’s ‘most important spring’ of Pat Fitzgerald’s tenure
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Greg McElroy recently tackled some key questions and spring previews from around the country in his Always College Football Podcast for ESPN. Included in that discussion was a segment on Northwestern heading to the spring session off of a 1-win campaign in 2022.
McElroy particularly noted the inconsistencies within Northwestern’s program, even some of the recent success in terms of B1G West titles. While the Wildcats have had their backs against the wall previously, McElroy sees this situation a bit differently than in years past.
“They’ve been painfully, painfully inconsistent. Probably as bad last year as they’ve ever been under Pat Fitzgerald,” explained McElroy. “And it doesn’t appear like things are going to immediately wave the magic wand and get them a whole lot better. They were 1-11 last year, you fired the defensive coordinator Jim O’Neill, you fired the DL coach Marty Long, your wide receivers Dennis Spring, you go and you kind of throw caution to the wind as far as your staff is concerned. Now everybody’s on notice…
“This is not totally uncharted territory but it does feel a little bit different for Pat Fitzgerald, the guy that has been so stable and so steady for quite a while after what was a rock bottom moment last year. ”
Considering the multitude of question marks facing the program, McElroy certainly feels it is in line to call this the most important spring facing Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern. Keep in mind, Fitzgerald originally took over for the Wildcats heading into the 2006 season.
“They have a lot to figure out on both sides of the ball so this is I would say — without being a prisoner of the moment — this might be the most important spring of Pat Fitzgerald’s tenure,” explained McElroy.
You can see McElroy’s full segment below. The Northwestern conversation begins around the 10:20 mark:
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.