Outside Topic OT. Fitzgerald fired at NW - Printable Version
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+--- Thread: Outside Topic OT. Fitzgerald fired at NW (/thread-24268.html)
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - needle - 07-10-2023
Inevitable conclusion: Matt Fortuna on Twitter: "Sources: Northwestern has parted ways with Pat Fitzgerald." / Twitter
Edited to add Northwestern prez statement on firing: https://www.northwestern.edu/leadership-notes/2023/decision-to-relieve-head-football-coach-pat-fitzgerald-of-his-duties.html?linkId=224300368
Notable to me, prez says firing decision based on 1.) hazing which "included forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature," and 2.) firing decision based on HC being "ultimately responsible for the culture of his team," with hazing "widespread and clearly not a secret within the program, providing Coach Fitzgerald with the opportunity to learn what was happening."
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - rogpodge - 07-10-2023
Is it too soon to start thinking about portal candidates?
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - Brickcity - 07-10-2023
(07-10-2023, 04:47 PM)rogpodge Wrote: Is it too soon to start thinking about portal candidates?
Would be nice to poach an offensive or defensive lineman or two, maybe a middle linebacker, a couple DBs...Hell, start the raid!
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - newguy - 07-10-2023
Fitzgerald fired?
couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - SamuelMcF - 07-10-2023
(07-10-2023, 06:30 PM)Brickcity Wrote:(07-10-2023, 04:47 PM)rogpodge Wrote: Is it too soon to start thinking about portal candidates?
Would be nice to poach an offensive or defensive lineman or two, maybe a middle linebacker, a couple DBs...Hell, start the raid!
Unfortunately they are similarly bereft of talent.
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - StanfordMatt - 07-10-2023
Don’t be shocked to see Shaw brought in as interim HC to help Northwestern try to salvage the upcoming season, similar to Jim Grobe at Baylor in 2016 following Briles’ dismissal.
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - washingtonismoney - 07-10-2023
(07-10-2023, 07:55 PM)StanfordMatt Wrote: Don’t be shocked to see Shaw brought in as interim HC to help Northwestern try to salvage the upcoming season, similar to Jim Grobe at Baylor in 2016 following Briles’ dismissal.
He want that in his life? I guess a few million bucks and nice tables at Girl and the Goat help with anyone's desires.
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - 82lsju - 07-10-2023
(07-10-2023, 07:58 PM)washingtonismoney Wrote:(07-10-2023, 07:55 PM)StanfordMatt Wrote: Don’t be shocked to see Shaw brought in as interim HC to help Northwestern try to salvage the upcoming season, similar to Jim Grobe at Baylor in 2016 following Briles’ dismissal.
He want that in his life? I guess a few million bucks and nice tables at Girl and the Goat help with anyone's desires.
maybe not if his severance pay gets netted out with any pay from NU....
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - Goose - 07-10-2023
(07-10-2023, 07:55 PM)StanfordMatt Wrote: Don’t be shocked to see Shaw brought in as interim HC to help Northwestern try to salvage the upcoming season, similar to Jim Grobe at Baylor in 2016 following Briles’ dismissal.Sorry, I will be shocked :-). Probably many alternative choices with Northwestern ties. That is beside the fact Shaw would be foolish to do it. No real upside and at best lots of aggravation.
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - needle - 07-10-2023
The realistic home-run hire for caretaker-coach is someone without any possible ties to the hazing (which has gone back 15 or so years, according to a couple of reports) who has lots of respect in the B1G.
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - PVTree - 07-10-2023
Richard Sherman for NW head coach! If Deion can do it, so can Sherman. :)
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - Snorlax94 - 07-11-2023
(07-10-2023, 07:55 PM)StanfordMatt Wrote: Don’t be shocked to see Shaw brought in as interim HC to help Northwestern try to salvage the upcoming season, similar to Jim Grobe at Baylor in 2016 following Briles’ dismissal.David Shaw absolutely should do something related to football some day in the future. This absolutely is not it — he just went through a grinder with a good culture so why go jump into a grinder with a toxic culture.
I imagine it’ll take 2+ years just to digest things and decide what he wants to do.
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - OutsiderFan - 07-11-2023
Pretty clearly obvious Fitzgerald will be suing the school for wrongful termination and/or breach of contract. Also, most likely a settlement coming.
I don't know a thing about Fitzgerald, but do feel sorry for him to have players on his team let him down to such a degree.
Just can't imagine people close to you doing things that would let you down so much.
A friend just told tell me her cousin let her know this weekend how his wife spent $40k on a boob job and cosmetic surgery behind his back, then he found she has multiple boyfriends and is going to Thailand to be an escort! Needless to say, they are divorcing.
You think you know people...
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - winflop - 07-11-2023
I'm glad NU fired Fitz, but I don't think they went far enough.
By the logic in NU's statement, every coach on that staff should have been aware of what was going on and each of them is equally culpable. Why weren't they fired? The DC who's being promoted to HC was hired after this happened, but several other coaches were there.
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - washingtonismoney - 07-11-2023
(07-11-2023, 05:57 AM)OutsiderFan Wrote: Pretty clearly obvious Fitzgerald will be suing the school for wrongful termination and/or breach of contract. Also, most likely a settlement coming.
I mean, I assume a settlement will happen because that's what happens in these sort of cases regardless of the merits. Still, for someone in a fiduciary position, there was abuse and you didn't know about it (and had "significant opportunities" to, whatever that means) is a very compelling reason to fire someone.
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - Mick - 07-11-2023
(07-11-2023, 06:57 AM)washingtonismoney Wrote:(07-11-2023, 05:57 AM)OutsiderFan Wrote: Pretty clearly obvious Fitzgerald will be suing the school for wrongful termination and/or breach of contract. Also, most likely a settlement coming.
I mean, I assume a settlement will happen because that's what happens in these sort of cases regardless of the merits. Still, for someone in a fiduciary position, there was abuse and you didn't know about it (and had "significant opportunities" to, whatever that means) is a very compelling reason to fire someone.
He should have known. The school should want to take a stand here. Defer to the employment lawyers on this one...
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - Vandelay - 07-11-2023
Now the baseball coach at Northwestern is in hot water. Serious allegations. And they had problems with sexual harassment of cheerleaders just two years ago. Seems like a total and complete lack of institutional control in their Athletic Department. They should clean house!
https://www.audacy.com/670thescore/sports/sources-northwestern-baseball-accused-of-toxic-culture
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - lex24 - 07-12-2023
(07-11-2023, 07:43 AM)Mick Wrote:(07-11-2023, 06:57 AM)washingtonismoney Wrote:(07-11-2023, 05:57 AM)OutsiderFan Wrote: Pretty clearly obvious Fitzgerald will be suing the school for wrongful termination and/or breach of contract. Also, most likely a settlement coming.
I mean, I assume a settlement will happen because that's what happens in these sort of cases regardless of the merits. Still, for someone in a fiduciary position, there was abuse and you didn't know about it (and had "significant opportunities" to, whatever that means) is a very compelling reason to fire someone.
He should have known. The school should want to take a stand here. Defer to the employment lawyers on this one...
Not an employment lawyer, but I’m sure he was fired for cause. But I suspect the University will agree to a settlement because they don’t want the dirty laundry to be exposed any more than it already is. NW gains nothing by having this drag on.
As for Fitzgerald, assuming the allegations of the players conduct are true I don’t feel sorry for him in the least. These were not isolated instances of bad conduct. These were ingrained behaviors. It’s his program. An atmosphere such as what allegedly transpired under his watch does not happen without at least tacit approval. By that I mean players believing that their conduct was within bounds as defined by their coach.
Fitzgerald claims he didn’t know. My guess is he didn’t want to. Plausible deniability.
(07-11-2023, 12:52 PM)Vandelay Wrote: Now the baseball coach at Northwestern is in hot water. Serious allegations. And they had problems with sexual harassment of cheerleaders just two years ago. Seems like a total and complete lack of institutional control in their Athletic Department. They should clean house!
https://www.audacy.com/670thescore/sports/sources-northwestern-baseball-accused-of-toxic-culture
And 10-40. Players obviously took to his exhortations. Different type allegations. These are all levied against him for “bullying” etc. (Along with allegedly making racist and sexist comments) A little tougher to gauge. Players (and sometimes parents) can complain for a host of reasons.
The most serious allegations to me are the not reporting injuries. If that and the abusive conduct are confirmed by assistant coaches, he’s gone.
And if I’m University President, I’m firing the AD. Two major programs with serious program issues. If “only” one, AD gets benefit of doubt”. But 2? Add to the fact the baseball manager was in his first year and had a prior incident of a player dying during conditioning, that’s strike three.
Again, assuming the allegations are true. They, of course, may not be. ( Along those lines, I’m not familiar with the source. These days I try to find at least a few sources - hopefully one I can semi trust.). But if article is legit, NW has another investigation to launch….
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - CowboyIndian - 07-12-2023
(07-11-2023, 05:57 AM)OutsiderFan Wrote: I don't know a thing about Fitzgerald, but do feel sorry for him to have players on his team let him down to such a degree.
WTF? You're kidding, right? Sarcasm emoji, please!
RE: OT. Fitzgerald suspended at NW - OutsiderFan - 07-12-2023
(07-12-2023, 09:11 AM)CowboyIndian Wrote:(07-11-2023, 05:57 AM)OutsiderFan Wrote: I don't know a thing about Fitzgerald, but do feel sorry for him to have players on his team let him down to such a degree.
WTF? You're kidding, right? Sarcasm emoji, please!
Why would I be kidding? Should I have known when someone was maneuvering behind my back to oust me from my own company? Should Bud Fox have known Gordon Gecko was going to liquidate Blue Star Airlines? Maybe, but I still feel empathy for those impacted by the actions of others acting one way in sight and another out of it, in a way that hurts those who trusted such people to do right by them.
Pat Fitzgerald doesn't appear to be some demon who countenanced hazing behavior. He apparently is not someone who doesn't take action to protect someone when told they need to be. He seems to have been trusting his players to act properly, not feeling like he needed to check-up on them like children, when it turns out doing that would have saved his job.