Wisconsin Badgers: Former Rival Coach Reaches Settlement Following $130 Million Lawsuit

A former Wisconsin Badgers rival coach has reached a settlement with his former employer, which could lead to a return to the college ranks.

Pat Fitzgerald announced today that a settlement has been reached with Northwestern in relation to a $130 million wrongful termination lawsuit. Fitzgerald claimed Northwestern had fired him before conducting reasonable and thorough investigations into the claims former players made in regards to a potentially toxic hazing culture.

The coach had been fired in July of 2023, ending his head coaching tenure with the program which dated back to 2006. Fitzgerald had been a part of the coaching staff in some capacity since 2001 after playing linebacker for the program from 1993-1996.

Fitzgerald ended his tenure with a record of 110-101 and 65-76 in conference play along with a 5-5 bowl record and five appearances in the top 25. The coach ended the shortened 2020 season ranked as the tenth team in the country and went on to win the Citrus Bowl against Auburn.

Former Wisconsin Badgers Conference Rival Pat Fitzgerald Reaches Crucial Settlement to Clear Name

At the time, the toxic culture of Northwestern had appeared to be a campus wide issue with baseball and volleyball players also lodging complaints. However, Fitzgerald claims to have personally taken the past two years to conduct investigations and research to clear his name. The coach mentioned in his first public statement about the settlement that he had run a “world-class program” and displayed a history of compliance with the NCAA and Nort hwestern by self-reporting various issues during his tenure.

Regarding the situation, lead attorney for Dan Webb stated, “With this behind him now, a settlement, with no evidence developed that he did anything wrong, I believe based on everything I’ve been told that he should have some significant opportunities to return to a major university or wherever he chooses to go.”

A settlement not only provides closure for Fitzgerald, but also prevents the case from progressing and potentially unearthing any further issues within the Northwestern program. Northwestern also moved to settle all 34 remaining student-athlete led lawsuits in May which left just the Fitzgerald lawsuit pending at the time.