Northwestern to promote former defensive standout to DC, per report

Northwestern reportedly has its next defensive coordinator lined up, staying in-house for the hire.

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the Wildcats are expected to promote linebackers coach and former Northwestern standout Tim McGarigle to serve as the DC under David Braun. McGarigle originally returned to his alma mater in 2018 to coach linebackers.

Braun was initially hired to serve as Northwestern’s DC heading into the 2023 season but was quickly promoted to interim head coach after the dismissal of Pat Fitzgerald. Now the full-time head coach, Braun will stay in-house with his first key hiring to fill the DC post.

Sources: Northwestern is expected to promote linebacker coach Tim McGarigle to defensive coordinator. He’s been on the staff at Northwestern since 2018 and is a decorated former player at Northwestern. He’s a former assistant coach at Illinois and Western Michigan.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 7, 2024

McGarigle played linebacker for the Wildcats in the early 2000s and finished his career with 545 career tackles. From 2003-05, he posted 140+ tackles each season with a career-high 156 in 2005.

After a brief NFL career, McGarigle returned to Northwestern as a GA in 2011 before stints at Western Michigan (2012-15) and Illinois (2016). He would spend 2017 with the Green Bay Packers before returning to the Wildcats in 2018.