Northwestern Players Furious With AD, President After Finding Out Pat Fitzgerald Fired On Social Media, Quick Zoom Meeting

Northwestern fired head coach Pat Fitzgerald on Monday evening after President Michael Schill made his own decision, after first suspending Fitzgerald for two weeks. Now, current players are sharing their frustrations on social media and to OutKick.

The news was a shock to the team, as they received a group text from a staff member that called for an immediate team meeting. Most Northwestern players were there in-person during this hastily called meeting, which was to inform them that coach Fitzgerald had been fired.

But how it all went down has caused immense frustration around the football program. According to multiple players that OutKick spoke with on Monday night, the team found out on social media before athletic director Derrick Gragg and president Michael Schill logged into a zoom with the team. Neither the president or AD were present to meet with the team after firing their head coach.

Pat Fitzgerald, former head coach of Northwestern Wildcats speaks during the 2022 Big Ten Conference Football Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium on July 26, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Before any questions could be answered for team members, the zoom was ended, causing further frustration for players and staff members. As emotions ran high and players left confused, Pat Fitzgerald came to the complex to meet with the players, along with his wife. There were a lot of tears shed between the former coach and his players, while frustration was mounting in-regards to the news.

Fitzgerald Expressed His Gratitude With Players After Firing

One of those players who spoke with OutKick about how it all transpired on Monday evening was senior tight-end Marshall Lang. While discussing the atmosphere around the building last night, Lang mentioned how grateful Coach Fitzgerald said he was for the players in his program.

"I was crying when he was speaking. I'm going to miss him more than people could possibly imagine. Coach Fitz spoke in front of the team, saying how grateful he was for all of us, talking about the impact we had on his life and this program had on his life."

This is certainly a tough time for all parties involved, especially the players left wondering what's next. Most players will more than likely have to play this season without the coach that recruited them, with less than a month until fall camp begins.

College athletics can be brutal, especially on those whom it will affect the most now, not to mention the staff members who will most likely be looking for another job after this season.

Now, when it comes to rallying as a team, they are left with more questions than answers.