CC: Pat Fitzgerald

Submitted by Tha Quiet Storm on

Haven't seen his name mentioned that much so I thought I'd throw it out there for discussion.

Pros

- Young (39) and energetic

- Maximizes talent, always seems to do more with less

- Recruits to a school with high academic standards

- Is on the AFCA's Ethics Committee

- Seems flexible when it comes to QB style - pocket passer (Siemian), primarially a runner (Kolter), dual-threat (Persa)

Cons

- Might be hard to pry him away from his alma mater

- Hasn't actually won anything (i.e. a division or conference title) other than a few bowl games

- Some people aren't fans of his sideline antics. I don't really care; I'll take someone who might look like a bit of a prick over Hoke and his dazed and confused sideline demeanor.

ST3

October 5th, 2014 at 8:39 PM ^

count me in the group that thinks we should bundle these all into one thread per day like we did at the end of the Rich Rod era.

Bando Calrissian

October 5th, 2014 at 8:40 PM ^

Fitz is a god in Evanston. Sure, the school is not an athletics mecca, but he has presidential and department support, student support, alumni support, and can pretty much write his own check for whatever he wants. He's not leaving NU. Period. 

bj dickey

October 5th, 2014 at 8:56 PM ^

Yup. Right on both scores. He may be the best candidate both last time around and this one. It's conceivable we could pry him away but doubtful. He's more locked in there than any other coach in the country to his program other than maybe bill Snyder. I can't I imagine why he would want the grief associated with a big time program. But you never know.

Victor Valiant

October 5th, 2014 at 8:45 PM ^

Absolutely not. Middling coach on a middling team. He doesn't deserve to even be in the conversation, unless of course the conversation is about terrible head coaching candidates for Michigan.

UMAmaizinBlue

October 5th, 2014 at 8:47 PM ^

Want Pat here, mainly because he's a great guy who truly cares about Northwestern and frankly doesn't deserve a fan base like ours that would tear him apart. He's a perfect fit at NU, he's young and has his whole life ahead of him - let's not ruin him.

Perkis-Size Me

October 5th, 2014 at 8:47 PM ^

This is laughable.

Fitzgerald is a rare find in college football these days. If he was ever going to leave Northwestern he would've done it by now. The only way he leaves is when he retires.


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mm92.

October 5th, 2014 at 8:55 PM ^

Seems like a complete douchebag. Then again so does Jim Harbaugh, but I want him. Sometimes having a double standard makes sense.

Sports

October 5th, 2014 at 8:58 PM ^

Northwestern lifer. They'll carry him out of his office in a pine box. The school is perfectly content with his record. He's already venerated for dragging them out of the dregs of the CFB world. You don't need to be great to be a good coach for Northwestern. There's no way he's headed to Ann Arbor. 

befuggled

October 5th, 2014 at 10:02 PM ^

That was Gary Barnett. Seriously, Barnett's 1995 team that lost the Rose Bowl was the first winning team Northwestern had since 1971. After two good years, though, Barnett's last two teams had losing records.

After Barnett left, both Randy Walker and Pat FitzGerald have been up and down. Fitzgerald has done a little better, taking them to a bowl game five years in a row, but last year's team wasn't bowl eligible.

Don

October 5th, 2014 at 8:58 PM ^

I know, Kirk Ferentz!. How 'bout we package him with Gruden, Sarkisian, Mora, and Stoops in one thread just to condense all the candidates we don't want or are highly unlikely to come here?

Keel

October 5th, 2014 at 9:08 PM ^

A lot of naive posts on here.  Fitzgerald has done well with what he's been able to recruit at NW, which isn't much.  Put him at the head of a program attractive to top tier recruits and you've got a totally different perspective.  I think he is a good CC, and I would take him.  Im not sure he'll leave NW though.  All of you on here saying the next hire must be a home run or bust, every candidate you're hoping for is more than likely far fetched...Just saying. Harbaughs are out, Miles is out.  Who will be a HR?