Fourteen coaching candidates who could replace Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Citizen WriterJul 13, 2023, 07:50 PM ET

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• College football reporter.
• Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
• Graduate of Northwestern University.The initially job of the 2023-24 college

  training carousel opened Monday in spectacular fashion and at one of the unlikeliest places. Northwestern fired long time coach Pat Fitzgerald, 3 days after releasing the outcomes of an investigation into hazing accusations within the program.On Thursday, sources told ESPN Northwestern is making protective coordinator David Braun its interim coach for the 2023 season. Hired in January from North Dakota State, Braun is among five new assistants Fitzgerald had actually hired this past offseason. He now faces the difficult task of assisting a team rocked by the hazing claims and Fitzgerald’s firing.Northwestern also need to begin its look for Fitzgerald’s permanent follower. Athletic director Derrick Gragg is set to lead the procedure, although his status might be

  affected by a continuous baseball scandal in which coach Jim Foster was accused of abusive habits and was fired Thursday, according to sources. Prospects and their agents certainly will be asking pointed concerns about Northwestern’s administrative situation.The Northwestern task has some apparent immediate issues, but also some advantages. Considering that 2020, when Northwestern won its second Huge Ten West Division title in 3 years and completed No. 10 nationally, the team is 4-20. The Wildcats have won three games or fewer in three of the past four seasons.The transfer portal/NIL period has shown difficult for Northwestern to browse, especially because the university has restrictions on transfer admissions. The Wildcats can only recruit transfers who would have qualified for admission out of high school and are in their sophomore years(other than graduates ). They likewise can’t get most players in up until spring quarter, which suggests they miss out on some or all of spring practice.But Northwestern belongs to the Big Ten, which implies funds and media exposure that couple of programs can match. The team’s operations center/practice facility is among the nation’s best and, at least for now, plans for a new$ 800 million arena are moving ahead. From 2008 to 2020, Northwestern went 96-67 with five AP Top 25 finishes and 5 bowl wins.Northwestern offers coaches and their households with an excellent place and quality of life without the fan/media pressure to win championships every year. The school hasn’t fired a coach based upon efficiency considering that 1991. The big question with the candidate pool is whether Northwestern pursues coaches with direct ties to the school, given the hazing events. The school also could seek to proven head coaches at comparable programs, or more youthful, fast-rising candidates. Here’s a look at who may be on Northwestern’s radar as it looks for Fitzgerald’s successor.