{"id":355152,"date":"2021-01-31T13:37:03","date_gmt":"2021-01-31T19:37:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/?p=355152"},"modified":"2021-02-01T08:04:40","modified_gmt":"2021-02-01T14:04:40","slug":"northwestern-football-coach-pat-fitzgerald-is-here-to-stay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/northwestern-football-coach-pat-fitzgerald-is-here-to-stay\/","title":{"rendered":"Northwestern Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald is Here to Stay"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fans of the Northwestern Football program had reason to celebrate over the past few days after the team <\/span>announced a new deal for coach Pat Fitzgerald<\/span><\/a>. Pat\u2019s contract locks him up for the next ten years, which means the school will have their most winningest coach through 2030. In 15 seasons, coach Fitz led the Wildcats to a 106-81 record. Northwestern Football has been their most dangerous in recent years as they\u2019ve had two-10 win seasons, four\u00a0 bowl victories, and two Big Ten West Division championships since 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pat Fitzgerald\u2019s new contract should keep the team at the top of the Big Ten standings for years to come. As a coach, Fitzgerald was <\/span>named Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year in 2020<\/span><\/a> and he also won Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2018. But his accomplishments as a Wildcat don\u2019t stop there. Pat Fitzgerald formerly played as a linebacker on the Northwestern Football team. In his playing years he earned back-to-back honors as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He also helped lead the team to a Rose Bowl and two consecutive Big Ten championships. As a player or a coach in 14\/16 of the program\u2019s bowl appearances, it was definitely important that the team keep Fitzgerald around for the long-run.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A post shared by Northwestern Football (@nufbfamily)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n