In the same two-hour span, Michigan State athletic director announced the firing of head coach Jonathan Smith and the hiring of Pat Fitzgerald.
The move was expected, but no one thought it would happen this quickly. However, you have to move fast in this day and age if you want to get your guy, and Michigan State wasted no time interviewing multiple candidates after firing Smith. It identified its guy and made the move.
Fitzgerald had a successful run at Northwestern, winning 110 games and even contending for Big Ten titles, although some argue he was a Big Ten West merchant. He had Northwestern in the Big Ten title conversation, though, and that in itself is one of the most impressive aspects of his resume.
Former players, for the most part, seem to like him, and former Michigan State athletes are seemingly on board as well. The national media has also been raving about this hire.
But why did the Northwestern legend get fired in the first place?
According to a report, a former player detailed the hazing that he received while at Northwestern, and said that he believed that Fitzgerald knew about it. There was no factual evidence to support this claim, but after being suspended for two weeks by the athletic department, he was fired by the university.
Following his firing, Fitzgerald was looked at as damaged goods, but he filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Northwestern which was settled and he said he felt “100 percent vindicated” by the result. There was reportedly no evidence to support the claims that Fitzgerald knew about the hazing.
Fitzgerald says that he didn’t know about the hazing and therefore he should never have been fired, and his return to college football after the settlement was inevitable.
There has been talk about him being a candidate for other jobs, and he’s even been considered a defensive coordinator candidate at major programs, but he was eventually going to get another head coaching position. Michigan State feels like the perfect fit for him.
Fitzgerald’s firing from Northwestern will always be considered controversial, and many believe the university should have waited for the facts before making the move, but waiting in college football can put you behind as a program. Fortunately for Fitzgerald and Michigan State, he is back in the Big Ten at a program that will give him all the resources he needs to be successful.