COLLEGE PARK, MD – OCTOBER 04: A view of the Big Ten logo on the sphere through the game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Byrd Stadium on October 4, 2014 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)
There have been a handful of Big Ten football teams that actually struggled in 2022. But while several head coaches have already paid with their jobs, one other coach is being urged to make some wholesale changes.
On Monday, Louie Vaccher of WildcatReport.com made the case for Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald to “clean house” and make wholesale changes on the team. The Wildcats went 1-11 in 2022, losing 11 straight games after narrowly winning their season-opener against Nebraska.
Vaccher called for Fitzgerald to interchange each of his coordinators then re-evaluate his strength staff and even his recruiting staff. He believes that something is “very, very mistaken” and that Fitzgerald should treat his job prefer it’s his first 12 months.
“Fitzgerald, a coach that always looked like he was going through the motions this 12 months, too, is thought for being loyal to coaches and players throughout his profession in Evanston, at times to a fault. But now it’s time for him to be loyal to something else: Northwestern. He must do the correct thing for this system and clean house.
“It needs to begin at the highest, with replacing each of his coordinators. After that, everyone and every little thing is fair game. Fitzgerald needs to guage and make decisions on position coaches, in addition to his strength and recruiting staffs. He must re-evaluate his roster and take a look at where he can add key pieces within the transfer portal to make the team more competitive immediately.
“In brief, Fitzgerald must take a look at the complete operation prefer it’s his first day on campus. He must blow it up and begin over because something could be very, very mistaken.”
Pat Fitzgerald has lifted Northwestern right into a force to be reckoned with within the Big Ten, going 106-81 with 10 bowl appearances between 2006 and 2020. He led the Wildcats to the Big Ten Championship game in 2018 and 2020.
But over the past two seasons, the Wildcats have gone a mere 4-20 and finished near the underside of their division in three of the last 4 seasons.
Changes are clearly needed at Northwestern for the Wildcats to get back on target.
Will Pat Fitzgerald “clean house” this offseason?
