Honestly, if you had asked any college football fan in 2022 who the most "untouchable" coach in the country was, Pat Fitzgerald would have been at the top of that list. He was Northwestern. He was the local kid who became a Hall of Fame linebacker, the guy who led the "Cardiac Cats" to the Rose Bowl, and the coach who turned a perennial basement-dweller into a consistent Big Ten contender.
Then everything changed in a matter of days.
The fallout from the hazing scandal at Northwestern didn't just cost Fitzgerald his job; it felt like it tore the soul out of Evanston. But as we sit here in 2026, the story has taken a turn that almost nobody saw coming back when those first headlines hit.
The Firing That Shook the Big Ten
Let’s be real: the way Pat Fitzgerald’s tenure ended was messy. In July 2023, the university initially suspended him for two weeks after an investigation into hazing allegations. It seemed like a slap on the wrist. But then, The Daily Northwestern published a bombshell report with graphic details from former players about "running" and other "vile" locker room rituals.
The backlash was instant.
Within 72 hours, the university went from a short suspension to an outright firing. Fitzgerald, who had won 110 games and took the Wildcats to two Big Ten Championship games, was suddenly an outcast. He didn't go quietly, though. He filed a $130 million wrongful termination lawsuit, claiming he had absolutely no knowledge of the hazing and that the school breached his contract.
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The Road to Vindicated (and Employed)
For two years, Fitzgerald was basically a ghost in the coaching world. He spent time as a volunteer coach for his sons' high school team at Loyola Academy. He sat through depositions. He watched from the sidelines while Northwestern struggled to redefine its identity without him.
But the legal tide shifted in August 2025.
Fitzgerald and Northwestern reached a settlement. While the dollar amount remains confidential, the university’s statement was telling. They admitted that while inappropriate conduct happened, the discovery process did not establish that Fitzgerald knew about, condoned, or directed any of it. Basically, the school gave him his reputation back.
And then came the "Rebirth." In December 2025, Michigan State made the gutsy move to hire Pat Fitzgerald as their 27th head football coach.
Why Michigan State Bet on "Coach Fitz"
It’s a bold hire for the Spartans, but when you look at the facts, it makes sense.
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- Winning Pedigree: He’s 14th all-time in Big Ten coaching wins.
- Midwest Roots: He knows the recruiting trails in Chicago, Detroit, and Ohio better than almost anyone.
- Academic Standard: Under his watch, Northwestern had some of the highest Graduation Success Rates in the country.
What Pat Fitzgerald is Doing Now in 2026
If you follow Michigan State football today, you’ve probably seen the videos. Fitzgerald is calling the Spartans' current situation a "rebirth, not a rebuild." He’s been aggressive in the transfer portal—bringing in over 25 new players—and he even poached special teams guru LeVar Woods from Iowa.
He looks energized. Kinda like he has a massive point to prove to everyone who counted him out in 2023.
But it’s not just about the wins on the field. Fitzgerald has been vocal about "implementing systems" to ensure the locker room culture at MSU is bulletproof. He’s taking the "leader of men" mantra and applying it with the hard-earned wisdom of someone who lost everything and had to fight to get it back.
The Complex Legacy of a Big Ten Icon
You can’t talk about Pat Fitzgerald without acknowledging the divide. Some fans will always see him as the coach who "should have known" what was happening in his locker room. Others see a man who was unfairly scapegoated for the actions of a few rogue players.
His career record stands at 110-101, but those numbers don't tell the whole story.
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At Northwestern, he took a school with strict academic requirements and turned them into a team that Power 5 giants feared. He won the Dodd Trophy and was the Big Ten Coach of the Year. Now, he's trying to do it again in East Lansing.
Moving Forward: What to Watch For
If you're following the trajectory of Pat Fitzgerald’s comeback, keep an eye on these specific developments throughout the 2026 season:
- The Northwestern Grudge Match: Mark your calendars. When the Wildcats travel to East Lansing to face their former coach, the atmosphere is going to be electric—and probably a little awkward.
- Recruiting Momentum: Watch if Fitzgerald can flip the elite Chicago-area recruits he used to get at NU to the Green and White.
- Locker Room Transparency: Expect MSU to be much more public about their internal "culture checks" as Fitzgerald works to maintain the trust of the administration.
The saga of Pat Fitzgerald is a rare case where the "final chapter" was actually just a plot twist. He isn't just a former coach anymore; he's the center of one of the biggest redemption arcs in modern sports history.
Next Step: To see how Fitzgerald's arrival is shifting the Big Ten power balance, you should review the current 2026 Michigan State recruiting class rankings and compare them to the previous three years of Spartan recruiting.