Former Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald has settled his lawsuit against the university, nearly two years after his firing in the wake of a hazing scandal.
Fitzgerald filed a $130 million lawsuit in 2023 against the university and its president, Michael Schill, three months after he was fired over hazing allegations involving players.
On Thursday, Fitzgerald announced, through his lawyers, that he and the university had reached a settlement resolving his lawsuit, which alleged breach of contract, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In a statement, Northwestern said Fitzgerald was not aware of the alleged hazing incidents.
“While the litigation brought to light highly inappropriate conduct in the football program and the harm it caused, the evidence uncovered during extensive discovery did not establish that any player reported hazing to Coach Fitzgerald or that Coach Fitzgerald condoned or directed any hazing,” the university said in a statement.
The exact terms of the agreement, including the exact settlement amount, were not disclosed.
“For the past two years, I have engaged in a process of extensive fact and expert discovery, which showed what I have known and said all along — that I had no knowledge of hazing ever occurring in the Northwestern football program, and that I never directed or encouraged hazing in any way,” Fitzgerald said in a statement.
The university suspended Fitzgerald on July 7, 2023, for two weeks without pay following an investigation by attorney Maggie Hickey, a former Illinois inspector general, into hazing allegations raised by a former player. Hickey concluded the claims were “largely supported by evidence” but said there was insufficient proof that Fitzgerald knew of specific incidents.
Fitzgerald, who led the team for 17 seasons, was fired three days later after former and current players came forward with hazing allegations that included nudity and sexualized acts.
Then three months later, Fitzgerald sued the university, claiming he was wrongfully fired and Northwestern breached both his original employment contract and a subsequent “oral contract” the two sides agreed to in July 2023.
Fitzgerald had $68 million in remaining salary on his contract, which ran through March 31, 2031.
Northwestern has taken steps to prevent hazing on campus, including new training and additional steps for feedback and reporting, according to the university.
Fitzgerald said the “rush to judgment“ caused him and his family “great stress, embarrassment, and reputational harm in the last two years.”
“Though I maintain Northwestern had no legal basis to terminate my employment for cause under the terms of my Employment Agreement, in the interest of resolving this matter and, in particular, to relieve my family from the stress of ongoing litigation, Northwestern and I have agreed to a settlement, and I am satisfied with the terms of the settlement,” he said.
Northwestern wished the former coach “the best in resuming his football career.”
In April, Northwestern also settled lawsuits with former football players who alleged sexual abuse and racial discrimination.