'Fully vindicated' Fitzgerald eyeing next job after Northwestern settlement

Pat Fitzgerald is looking for a coaching job again in college football and said he has been received well in conversations with schools.

“I feel fully vindicated," the former Northwestern coach said on ESPN's “College GameDay” podcast, making his first public comments since he was fired in July 2023. “It’s been great working through this process. There’s been conversations with a lot of folks.”

The 50-year-old Fitzgerald reached a settlement with Northwestern in August, two years after he sued the university amid a team hazing scandal that led to his firing following an investigation.

Details of the settlement were not made public.

Former Northwestern football players started filing lawsuits in 2023, alleging sexual abuse and racial discrimination on the team. Similar allegations then spread across several sports.

Fitzgerald denied wrongdoing and sued for $130 million. He alleged the school illegally terminated his employment and damaged his reputation, among other things. His case was set to go to trial this month.

“The evidence uncovered during extensive discovery did not establish that any player reported hazing to Coach Fitzgerald or that Coach Fitzgerald condoned or directed any hazing,” the university said in a statement last summer. “When presented with the details of the conduct, he was incredibly upset and saddened by the negative impact this conduct had on players within the program.”

Fitzgerald was an All-America linebacker for the Wildcats and starred on the 1995 team that won the Big Ten and played in the Rose Bowl.

He was 110-101 in 17 seasons as Northwestern’s head coach. He led the Wildcats to Big Ten West championships in 2018 and 2020 and to five bowl victories. Over his final two seasons, though, Northwestern was 4-20.

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