Northwestern did not have the season it was hoping for, but it looks like Pat Fitzgerald is still not interested in leaving for the NFL.

According to Jason La Canfora with CBS Sports, Fitzgerald was reportedly among the coaches that the Carolina Panthers wanted to interview for their opening. Fitzgerald turned down the opportunity to formally interview for the position:

The Carolina Panthers reached out to Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald about their vacancy, league sources said, though he opted not to formally interview for the position. Fitzgerald has been highly regarded in NFL circles for years and teams have routinely expressed interest in hiring him.

La Canfora went on to say that the Panthers realized it was “unlikely” that they could lure Fitzgerald away from Northwestern. He also reported that there is a continued belief that the only NFL job Fitzgerald would seriously entertain is the Chicago Bears should it open up in the future.

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Fitzgerald has been head coach of the Wildcats since 2006 and initially returned to the program as an assistant in 2001. The 2019 season snapped a streak of four straight bowl appearances for Northwestern with the Wildcats winning three straight bowls.