Once the face of Northwestern football, Fitzgerald settles lawsuit two years after hazing scandal shook the program.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Northwestern and longtime head football coach Pat Fitzgerald have reached a settlement in the wrongful termination lawsuit he filed following his dismissal in 2023. The agreement, confirmed Thursday, ends a contentious two-year legal battle that drew national attention. While exact terms were not disclosed, Fitzgerald had originally sought $130 million after being fired amid a hazing scandal that rocked the Wildcats’ program.
Fitzgerald, 50, spent 17 years as head coach at his alma mater, guiding Northwestern to 110 wins, two Big Ten title game appearances, and a reputation as one of the most stable programs in the conference. His sudden dismissal came just days after the school first announced a two-week suspension, following findings of hazing in the locker room.
The Coach’s Defense
Fitzgerald has long denied knowing about or condoning hazing, a point he stressed again in a lengthy statement released Thursday.
“For the past two years, I have engaged in a process of extensive fact and expert discovery, which showed what I have known and said all along, that I had no knowledge of hazing ever occurring in the Northwestern football program, and that I never directed or encouraged hazing in any way,” Fitzgerald said.
He acknowledged that hazing did take place, but added he was “extremely disappointed that members of the team engaged in this behavior and that no one reported it to me, so that I could have alerted Northwestern’s Athletic Department and administrators.”
Northwestern’s Statement
The university also released its own comments, noting that the investigation never established Fitzgerald had knowledge of the hazing.
“While the litigation brought to light highly inappropriate conduct in the football program and the harm it caused, 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,” Northwestern said.
The school emphasized it has since implemented new anti-hazing training and reporting systems to protect its athletes.
A Career in Limbo
For now, Fitzgerald’s coaching future remains uncertain. His agent, Bryan Harlan, told ESPN: “It was a lengthy process, but we’re very, very satisfied with the terms of the settlement. Coach Fitzgerald is eager to resume his coaching career.”
The settlement comes months after Northwestern also resolved 34 lawsuits from former players tied to the hazing scandal. It effectively closes the book on one of the darkest chapters in school history. Still, Fitzgerald’s legacy, once defined by loyalty and success, remains clouded by the controversy.
After two years on the sidelines, including volunteering at his sons’ high school, Fitzgerald now seeks to rebuild his reputation and return to the sidelines at a higher level. Whether another program takes that chance remains to be seen.
For Northwestern, the case’s resolution marks an effort to move forward. For Fitzgerald, it represents both an ending and a new beginning. The settlement brings closure, but the question now shifts: where does Pat Fitzgerald coach next?
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