Northwestern AD 'extremely disappointed' after coaches wear shirts supporting ex-coach Pat Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald was fired after numerous allegations of hazing within Northwestern football
Northwestern athletic director Derrick Gragg said he was “extremely disappointed” that members of the football coaching staff wore shirts supporting fired coach Pat Fitzgerald on Wednesday.
Some staff members wore shirts that said “Cats against the world” with the number 51 on them to practice. Fitzgerald, a former Northwestern linebacker, wore No. 51 when he was a player. The longtime Northwestern coach was suspended and subsequently fired by the school after an investigation into hazing allegations within the program.
“I am extremely disappointed that a few members of our football program staff decided to wear ‘Cats against the world’ T-shirts,” Gragg said in a statement. “Neither I nor the university was aware that they owned or would wear these shirts today. The shirts are inappropriate, offensive and tone deaf. Let me be crystal clear; hazing has no place at Northwestern and we are committed to do whatever is necessary to address hazing-related issues, including thoroughly investigating any incidents or allegations of hazing or any other misconduct.”
A clear shot of the "Cats Against the World" shirt that some Northwestern coaches/staff members were wearing at practice, with Pat Fitzgerald's old jersey #51 on them (as @Bradley_Locker first noted)@cbschicago pic.twitter.com/3fvnc0GEND
— Matt Zahn (@mattzahnsports) August 9, 2023
Several Northwestern coaches/staffers, including OC Mike Bajakian, are donning "Cats Against the World" shirts with No. 51 — Pat Fitzgerald's old jersey number — on them. pic.twitter.com/ZFQ3tNU1Vv
— Bradley Locker (@Bradley_Locker) August 9, 2023
Gragg’s statement contrasted the remarks made by interim coach David Braun after practice. Braun said it wasn’t his place to censor anyone’s free speech when he was asked about the shirts. As the head coach of a football team at a private university, Braun has the right to dictate what shirts his staff can and cannot wear without infringing upon their First Amendment protections.
Northwestern interim coach David Braun says his role is to support players and staff. Adds of the T-shirts: "It’s not my business to censor anyone’s free speech."
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) August 9, 2023
Braun was not a member of the Northwestern coaching staff in 2022 as he was the defensive coordinator at North Dakota State. Fitzgerald was the only coach on the staff a season ago who lost his job as a result of the investigation.
Northwestern is facing numerous lawsuits by former players who say they were hazed during their time as players in Fitzgerald’s program. The report from the investigation said it didn’t have “sufficient evidence” to prove that Fitzgerald or any members of the coaching staff knew of the hazing allegations within the program and that's why he was initially suspended for two weeks.
Fitzgerald was fired three days after he was suspended. His firing by Northwestern president Michael Schill came after a story from the Daily Northwestern student newspaper graphically detailed allegations of systemic hazing by members of the football team.
