Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald will not leave the collegiate game for the NFL, his agent tells Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link).
Fitzgerald has recently been adamant that he won’t leave Northwestern, but NFL clubs were still interested in his services. The Packers, for one, were expected to request an interview with Fitzgerald, and Silverstein reports Fitzgerald actually received multiple inquiries from the league. Packers president Mark Murphy hired Fitzgerald at Northwestern, but that connection wasn’t enough to sway Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald, 44, has been mentioned as an NFL candidate since at least 2015. A former player at Northwestern, Fitzgerald began coaching the Wildcats’ defensive backs in 2001, and was eventually named head coach in 2006. He’s since transformed the program, posting a 92-70 record during his time in Evanston.
Fitzgerald inked a 10-year extension with Northwestern in 2017. His salary is not publicly available, but Fitzgerald is believed to be among the highest-paid coaches in the Big Ten.
Basically saying Northwestern upped his salary. Good for him if he’s happy where he is though.
It’s his dream job, probably for life. Why would he leave for green bay? To get treated like trash by a drama queen QB and get fired?
Wise decision. There are some schools where being above 500 and a bowl game is a great job. He has one of those. Endless work at 7 figures per year.
The idea that losing 2-3 games is a ‘bad season’ is why there is so much turn over in college.
Grest story, but why do you have a picture of the Utah coach?
Hahahaha
He’s gonna be there in 20 years. Need to stop asking.
I don’t think THAT long, but he strikes me as being there til he hangs up the headset for good.
GO CATS!!!
He’s done great things in Evansville. I think he’d be a good NFL HC, but good for him for sticking with his alma mater.
He actually spends most of his time in Evanston Illinois, not wherever Evansville is. But thanks for trying.
Darn autocorrect!
On a Chicago radio interview this morning he refused to rule out leaving NW for an NFL job. Try as they may, the interviewers could not get him to commit to staying in Evanston. He dodged..he weaved..he filibustered…But he would not rule out a move to the NFL.