I would be interested in your take on this Interview with Gragg

He basically doesn't answer any questions, and is clearly being advised to say nothing related to the report, the firing of Fitz and the extent of the allegations.

I don't think this interview did much to help anyone involved in the situation. The impression it leaves is that Gragg and Schill are far more invested in protecting the institution legally than they are in sharing the facts or truth about what happened. Not a good look.

I'm reposting this thread here, even though @CappyNU deleted it for some unknown reason.

I don't understand why everyone was so up in arms about this. It's SOP when a coach gets fired. We were going to write a similar story, but probably weren't going to start reaching out until tomorrow.

Look, I get that everyone is emotional. I am too. But no one died today. To the rest of the world, a college coach got fired. Happens all the time. Adam, Clint and Sean are just doing their jobs.

BTN doing recap right now of 54-51 NU victor over Michigan with a overview of the Wildcat's 2001 season leading to the game and the backdrop of Wildcats resurgence in the 1990s to where it can contend against teams like Michigan. It is kind of nostalgic seeing back in the olden days when the Wildcats were viewed as having an innovative offense, especially in contrast to the current situation. A summary is also on the Youtubes:
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Kirk:

“They do a great job coaching up there,” Ferentz said.

Fitzgerald and Ferentz have “had contact” since Northwestern ousted him earlier this month, Ferentz said.

Ferentz, the longest-tenured college football head coach in the country, believes it is “important right now that people let things play out” as he offered his “personal commentary” on the situation.

“There's a big difference between allegations sometimes and facts,” Ferentz said. “I doubt anybody knows all the facts right now. ... I’m not here to judge. I have no idea.”


Rhule:

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Bret:

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Oh, the huge manatee:
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Here's my story on Northwestern's recruiting outlook after Big Ten Media Days.

Sharing my own hypothesis on Schill's approach to things - based on a deeper dive on his background and some practical observations I've gained from dealing with lifelong academics who suddenly are tasked with the messy externalities of the real world. I'd like to know what you think.

First, Schill is a lifelong academic/thinktank guy. He was a law clerk and spent 2 years in a law firm - the short tenure in practice is first hint that he's not cut out for a world of practical realities or externalities.

1. Let's unpack what it really means to grow up in academia. Academia is a well-funded, political world in which posturing, jockeying, and positioning are essential, while publishing as much stuff as possible. It's not a place where there is a lot of accountability, focus on outcomes or regard for what's happening to real people in the real world. (No, publishing is not an outcome....). Having dealt with a lot of PHD's I find it remarkable how misinformed they can be, and how hard it is to get them to relate to business practicalities. It can take years to 'deprogram' the academic reflex so they can thrive in a business environment. They simply don't know what they don't know, because they've been so protected and insulated from externalities and because there are few good role models for leadership. So Dr. Schill is first and most a careerist who has clung to the insular comfort of academia - his bio makes that clear.

2. Why he hasn't flushed Gragg.

As much as we might think that is indefensible, we shouldn't assume that Gragg still has a job is about support or loyalty. There is a more Machiavellian angle that may explain it. If Schill moves fast, flushing Gragg, Foster, MacPherson, et all right away, he'll have no wiggle room left - no buffer. I suspect he knows that much more is coming. Keep people around = keep bullets in the chamber. Fire them at the right time to look responsive in the moment. They had to know about Foster but didn't do anything until they needed a bullet. Now, Shill waits for the next bombshell and he can fire another (MacPhereson?). Gragg will get his when something bigger emerges, when the legal groundwork is done, or at the end.

At that point, Schill will position himself with the board as the captain who navigated story waters.

Not a fan of Schill - I think he's a terrible President. But I think we underestimate him if we assume he's not playing some chess.

I am in no way connected to any influential person at NU otherwise I would ask, but one would think there has to be some seriously negative feedback on the AD's leadership over the past few weeks (or entire) tenure at NU? I would think ex-players, major donors, whomever would be pressing for answers? I listened to the interview on BTN and struggle to see his value or the benefits to his leadership.

I've seen this mentioned a few times. Can anyone relay where they've heard it from? Does a player have the recording?

2023 version off to a great start so far. Really hard to tell right now who will be in yellow come Paris. Will Cav get the stage win record? How good is Hindley? Is Jasper Disaster the fastest man on wheels? What does Sepp Kuss think about in those Cat 1 climbs?

Ride, you sumbitches, ride.

Not sure if anyone cares or not, but I hopped on a podcast done on the Casual Big Ten Channel. Also not sure if we can plug podcasts or anything like that, but whatever.

Give it a listen and let me know how perfectly right I am (or how wrong I am).


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Tight End coach for UNL Bob Wager....steps down after not being able to walk straight line......suspected of driving while intoxicated

.....always a Cat. Now a WildGutter Cat
Profile page: Pardon

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If a player enters portal does he give up his scholie?
If in the portal and finds no takers can he return to his former team,?

Three independent 'What ifs':
1) What if NU fired Fitz, after the 2022 season, because we sucked for the last two years? Does any of this come out?
2) What if NU fired Fitz, immediately after the consultant's report came out, in lieu of a two suspension. Does any of this come out?
3) What if Schill stuck to his two week suspension and stands by Fitz and fights the accusers? Does this situation get any worse than it has been, to this point?

Wake me up from this shitty dream.

Mike Hankwitz, who spent 13 years as the football team’s defensive coordinator before his retirement after the 2020 season, did not doubt the accounts of some athletes. But in a phone interview, he questioned the scope of the accusations because he said he had neither witnessed nor heard of hazing from coaches, equipment managers, janitors, strength and conditioning coaches, trainers and food servers — all people who would be around Northwestern football players.
“Fitz wanted to do what was right by the players,” Hankwitz said. “Our first team meeting is team rules, one of which is zero tolerance for hazing. To say he sat by as this happened? I’m sorry.”

Hankwitz said Northwestern has long had a players’ council, which was elected by the players and could have brought any concerns to Fitzgerald. “He wanted to give them ownership and leadership skills,” Hankwitz said.

According to brobible the used car saleman at Rodentville is now under fire due to toxic culture!!!

I confirmed with sources that Colin White, a 6-5 2024 combo guard from Ohio, will be on campus for his official visit this weekend.

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Matt wrote about him when he picked up his offer last month.

Can’t make this shit up…

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Good to see a “normal” positive tweet, from Armon Binns having a get together for the WR group. AJ Henning and Cam Johnson are tagged so I assume they’re in the photo, I cautiously take this as a good sign…

Addendum: also notice 5th guy from the right’s T shirt - “CATS Against the World 51”

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It seems to me that some recruits use football as a means to get a good education and others are enrolling both for an education and the opportunity to be developed for a possibility to play in the nfl. Given how few of our players, and most others except the elite schools in football, actually play in the NFL, one would think that many of our current roster would stay the course to get the degree. It seems that only the top four or close to four star freshmen are the ones that have transferred so far. One could assume that those players think they have NFL capability. Just wondering what others thought.

What are the chances on top of this hot mess the NCAA levels sanctions against us? I think that that the program is going to be in gutted between the portal and our inability to recruit. I am not sure if it matters if the NCAA reduced our number of scholarships because I do not see us putting together a decent recruiting class for several cycles.

Northwestern is at an inflection point. After 25-years of steadily increasing academic reputation and athletic prowess under the leadership of Henry Bienen and Morty Shapiro, a few months of Michael Schill has unwound all the positive momentum.

Rather than talking about a state-of-the-art stadium to make Northwestern a destination location for football games and NCAA lacrosse championships, Schill is now talking of downsizing and delaying the project. Schill seems comfortable with athletics on par with Rice. Rice is a good academic school, but it is irrelevant in the national conversation because their athletics are not relevant.

My guess: the BoT doesn't want Northwestern to be another Rice, and Schill will be shown the door as soon as its clear the University is trending in that direction.

Just curious how people view a reasonable standard for firing a head coach "for cause."
One anonymous vote per person. Hopefully the moderator respects the anonymity.
You have to vote to see the results...
I tried to cover a wide range so that everyone would find a choice that suited him (her).