Two years later, coach Pat Fitzgerald and Northwestern University settle lawsuit

(Editor’s Note: A portion of this story was reported by My Ly for the Evanston RoundTable, a neighboring independent newsroom. It was shared with The Record as part of an ongoing collaborative effort.)

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern University’s former head football coach and current Loyola Academy assistant football coach, reached a settlement agreement with the university on Thursday, ending a lawsuit he filed two years ago over his termination.

His firing came in response to current and former NU players alleging a pattern of hazing in the Wildcats football program under Fitzgerald’s leadership.

While NU and Fitzgerald have acknowledged hazing did occur, the settlement says that no evidence was found to prove Fitzgerald had direct 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’s statement says. “Moreover, 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.”

The financial details of the settled lawsuit have not been disclosed, but “Northwestern and I have agreed to a settlement, and I am satisfied with the terms of the settlement,” according to a statement from Fitzgerald, who is a Northfield resident.

“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 in a statement posted via his attorneys on Thursday. 

Fitzgerald sued the university for $130 million in October 2023 following his suspension and eventual firing in July of the same year.

He was initially suspended by the university without pay after an outside investigation commissioned by the university found evidence of hazing. He was then officially fired after a report by The Daily Northwestern detailed hazing allegations that were not previously reported by the school.

Northwestern President Michael Schill said in an open letter at the time that Fitzgerald was responsible for the team’s culture and should have known the hazing occurred.

In his statement on Thursday, Fitzgerald maintained he had no direct knowledge of the hazing taking place under his leadership as head football coach, saying if he was aware “I could have alerted Northwestern’s Athletic Department and administrators, stopped the inappropriate behavior, and taken every necessary step to protect Northwestern’s student athletes.” 

“The rush to judgment in the media in July of 2023 and the reports that suggested I knew about and directed hazing are false and have caused me, my wife, and my three sons great stress, embarrassment, and reputational harm in the last two years,” Fitzgerald said. “Though I maintain Northwestern had no legal basis to terminate my employment for cause under the terms of my Employment Agreement, in the interest of resolving this matter and, in particular, to relieve my family from the stress of ongoing litigation.”  

In April of this year, the university also reached a provisional settlement in another lawsuit involving dozens of former student-athletes who sued the school in relation to alleged hazing and sexual abuse in the university’s football program. 

“Northwestern’s number one priority is the health and safety of all members of its community, including our student athletes,” a statement from Northwestern on Thursday said. “The University has taken action to ensure hazing will not occur again, including new training and additional steps for feedback and reporting.”

The university said it wishes “Coach Fitzgerald the best in resuming his football career.”

Following his departure from Northwestern, Fitzgerald became a volunteer assistant varsity coach for Loyola Academy in Wilmette. Fitzgerald’s three sons — Jack, Ryan and Brendan — have since attended and played football for the Wilmette school.

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