86 Former Northwestern Athletes Call Pat Fitzgerald Firing a 'Failure' of Leadership

Following the firing of Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald last month, a group of former athletes wrote an open letter criticizing university administrators.

According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, the letter was signed by 86 former Northwestern athletes, including "several" of Fitzgerald's former football teammates. The letter is directed at university president Michael Schill and athletic director Derrick Gragg, accusing both of displaying "a clear failure of unbiased and principled leadership."

Fitzgerald was fired by Schill on July 10 after a report from the student publication The Daily Northwestern revealed the details of hazing and sexual abuse allegations from a former player against Fitzgerald and the football program.

The letter accuses Schill and Gragg of a lack of due process, saying that Schill "abandoned foundational legal ethics" and allowed public reactions to influence his decision to fire Fitzgerald. It goes on to push for the firings of Schill and Gragg if they don't release the full findings of a university investigation into the hazing allegations.

So far, only an executive summary of the investigation has been released. Former football players who are suing the university over hazing and mistreatment have also lobbied for the release of the full report, as has Fitzgerald's attorney.

Rittenberg noted that the university's investigation "found evidence that largely supported the player's allegations but insufficient evidence that Fitzgerald or other coaches were aware of any hazing incidents." Prior to firing Fitzgerald, Schill had initially issued a two-week suspension for him based on the findings of the investigation. He said he would reconsider the penalties a day later after the report from The Daily Northwestern was published.

The letter reads, in part:

"By willfully ignoring due process, Northwestern University's administration has left a welcome mat out for the weaponization of sexual harassment, hazing, and racism accusations to run rampant at Northwestern University. Any allegation, true or not, will be allowed to cancel anyone's career and destroy their reputation depending upon popular opinion, while simultaneously allowing the censorship of free speech. The collective gains of Northwestern's Athletic Department over the last three decades, along with Pat Fitzgerald's legacy and character, have almost been wiped out without any proof of guilt or, much less, even a thorough and proper investigation."

In addition to Monday's open letter, a separate group of over 1,000 former Northwestern athletes issued an open letter last week that defended the university's athletic culture, saying it isn't defined by hazing. However, that letter was not critical of Schill or Gragg, and it supported the university's efforts to investigate hazing claims.