Kirk Ferentz: Where Does He Rank Among Big Ten Coaches?
By Jeremy Karll
No. 5 – Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern Wildcats (74-59)
It’s crazy to think that the former All-American linebacker, Pat Fitzgerald, is in his 11th season as Northwestern’s head coach. He’s turned one of the lesser thought about teams in the nation into a perennial contender in the Big Ten. He’s led the Wildcats to five straight bowl games for the first time in school history and a 10-win season in 2015.
Northwestern got off to a slow start in 2016, but Fitzgerald’s job was never really in jeopardy. He’s brought the Wildcats to heights they have never seen before. At one point, ESPN’s College Gameday even went to Evanston, Illinois when Northwestern hosted Ohio State.
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Even though it might not be seen this year, Northwestern has built one of the strongest defenses in the nation. Recruiting classes continue to get better, and as previously mentioned, Northwestern is consistently relevant in the Big Ten and nationally.
While this season has been a bust after a slow 0-2 start, Fitzgerald will have an experienced defense with Clayton Thorson and Justin Jackson back on offense for their senior seasons in 2017. There will once again be hefty expectations for the Wildcats, and no one would rather bring them there than a former Northwestern player.
There have been ups and downs for Northwestern during his tenure, but the fact remains true that Northwestern has not been this good for this long any other time in their history, and that’s a testament to Pat Fitzgerald.