10 years ago today...

[lou v]

...Northwestern hired 31-year-old Pat Fitzgerald as head coach.

It was a gutsy move at the time for AD Mark Murphy to hire such a young linebackers coach with no coordinating experience, but I'd say it has worked out pretty well.

 

[pawildcat]

...Northwestern hired 31-year-old Pat Fitzgerald as head coach.

It was a gutsy move at the time for AD Mark Murphy to hire such a young linebackers coach with no coordinating experience, but I'd say it has worked out pretty well.

It was shaky for the first couple of years, but Fitz does seem to have grown into the job. Given some of the things you see happening other places, it's been a blessing to have such a high-character guy at our school.

 

[Deeringfish]

...Northwestern hired 31-year-old Pat Fitzgerald as head coach.

It was a gutsy move at the time for AD Mark Murphy to hire such a young linebackers coach with no coordinating experience, but I'd say it has worked out pretty well.

I really think he has done a great job considering the circumstances and his youth ate the time. I wish for his sake and the program's that there was a way to take a sabbatical or study leave just to catch up with himself and gain some new perspectives. He has had one kind of growth that comes from being tossed into the action but the action never lets up and I worry that things could get a little myopic or narrow especially given the low staff turnover (which has it's value as well.)

 

[NJCat]

I really think he has done a great job considering the circumstances and his youth ate the time. I wish for his sake and the program's that there was a way to take a sabbatical or study leave just to catch up with himself and gain some new perspectives. He has had one kind of growth that comes from being tossed into the action but the action never lets up and I worry that things could get a little myopic or narrow especially given the low staff turnover (which has it's value as well.)

Completely agree with you. The sad thing is, he would have been an even better head coach if he had been an assistant and a coordinator for 5 more years. But given the circumstances, it was a great hire and he did as well as I think anyone would have.

 

[Gladeskat]

I really think he has done a great job considering the circumstances and his youth ate the time. I wish for his sake and the program's that there was a way to take a sabbatical or study leave just to catch up with himself and gain some new perspectives. He has had one kind of growth that comes from being tossed into the action but the action never lets up and I worry that things could get a little myopic or narrow especially given the low staff turnover (which has it's value as well.)

Fitz and staff (as well as other football programs) are aware of this problem and regularly travel around the country to coaches conventions and to visit other programs to see how other programs are run. Have you noticed how good ideas spread quickly in football, stuff like leadership councils and intrasquad competitions that include academic achievement and community service?