Are you expecting an Interim head coach, or a NEW HEAD COACH

[NUCat320]

I’m expecting a veteran coach with a chance to be the long term solution, with Braun having at least a few years guaranteed after this season and Bajakian…less so.

But it sure seems that some are expecting or hoping for a big swing for a currently employed head coach or coordinator.

To me, making a multi-year commitment on such a tight timeline makes no sense, and NU obviously can’t stay in-house for a long-term hire here. I’d also expect your pool is at least somewhat limited because many current OCs or head coaches wouldn’t be comfortable making the move.

 

[NUChicago]

I’m expecting a veteran coach with a chance to be the long term solution, with Braun having at least a few years guaranteed after this season and Bajakian…less so.

But it sure seems that some are expecting or hoping for a big swing for a currently employed head coach or coordinator.

To me, making a multi-year commitment on such a tight timeline makes no sense, and NU obviously can’t stay in-house for a long-term hire here. I’d also expect your pool is at least somewhat limited because many current OCs or head coaches wouldn’t be comfortable making the move.

Don’t worry Gragg has it under control.

 

[jimmyNU]

I am shocked that we have not seen an announcement about an interim head coach. It would seem to me that David Braun, having very little history with the program, is the obvious choice. It seems improbable that they could get a permanent coach hired in time for the new season. And, if they did, it would likely have to be someone who was willing to inherit a sinking ship and agreed to keep the existing staff for at least one season before making changes.

 

[Darren72]

JimmyNU - I like the new dumpster fire logo.

I expect a limited-term placeholder head coach this year. I would assume the preferred candidate is a veteran head coach who will command immediate respect (and who is currently not employed as a coach - no one is leaving another team a month before the season starts for a temporary gig). If they don't get someone like this, I expect Braun would be the DC and HC this year.

I think a search for a permanent HC is a longer process. Very hard to see that happening before the season starts. I'm sure they plan to take their time and allow themselves to see who's available at the end of this season.

I suppose we can infer that Gragg didn't have a shortlist of names handy already. Perhaps evidence that they never planned to fire Fitz in the first place.

 

[wildcatpn]

I’m expecting a veteran coach with a chance to be the long term solution, with Braun having at least a few years guaranteed after this season and Bajakian…less so.

But it sure seems that some are expecting or hoping for a big swing for a currently employed head coach or coordinator.

To me, making a multi-year commitment on such a tight timeline makes no sense, and NU obviously can’t stay in-house for a long-term hire here. I’d also expect your pool is at least somewhat limited because many current OCs or head coaches wouldn’t be comfortable making the move.

I'm expecting it to be botched no matter what's done due to the clowns in charge.

 

[jimmyNU]

I'm expecting it to be botched no matter what's done due to the clowns in charge.

Based on the week we are having, I could see this on Twitter: "Northwestern AD Derrick Gragg confirms that Pat Fitzgerald is a candidate to fill the vacant head coaching position."

 

[KramerCat91]

I expect an interim coach. A new head coach will be selected and all the long time assistant coaches who also should have known will be let go under the guise of the head coach being given the right to pick his people.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I’m expecting a veteran coach with a chance to be the long term solution, with Braun having at least a few years guaranteed after this season and Bajakian…less so.

But it sure seems that some are expecting or hoping for a big swing for a currently employed head coach or coordinator.

To me, making a multi-year commitment on such a tight timeline makes no sense, and NU obviously can’t stay in-house for a long-term hire here. I’d also expect your pool is at least somewhat limited because many current OCs or head coaches wouldn’t be comfortable making the move.

An interim for 2023 followed by a more exhaustive/extensive search for 2024 and beyond.

The tricky part is that the kind of “veteran coach” we might want to handle 2023 (I’m thinking of a Paul Chryst-type) might want a multi-year commitment. If that’s the case, I would probably just let Braun stay in the spot for the season while finding a “senior adviser” type to help with the DC role then do a full process after the season. We were always gonna suck on the field in 2023, no reason to make our future even more complicated than it needs to be.

 

[kaTNap]

I don't understand why it's taking this long if they are just going to name Braun as interim. Are they negotiating with Chryst or Leonhard to come in as interim and stay if it works out? Are they building a trout stream in Northbrook so they can bring back Coach Hank for a season and give him a place to fish? Are they playing parcheesi hoping the whole issue magically disappears? I don't get it.

 

[jimmyNU]

I don't understand why it's taking this long if they are just going to name Braun as interim. Are they negotiating with Chryst or Leonhard to come in as interim and stay if it works out? Are they building a trout stream in Northbrook so they can bring back Coach Hank for a season and give him a place to fish? Are they playing parcheesi hoping the whole issue magically disappears? I don't get it.

I agree. There are very few options on the table. I seriously doubt a known coach wants to come in as a 1-year temp. If there's any internal debate at Northwestern Athletics right now, it may have to do with whether or not the assistant coaches are held to the same "you should have known" standard as Fitz.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I don't understand why it's taking this long if they are just going to name Braun as interim. Are they negotiating with Chryst or Leonhard to come in as interim and stay if it works out? Are they building a trout stream in Northbrook so they can bring back Coach Hank for a season and give him a place to fish? Are they playing parcheesi hoping the whole issue magically disappears? I don't get it.

I’d imagine they’re working through some “veteran coach” candidates to see if it will/would work… but I also don’t trust Schill at all and think Gragg should be fired soon for the baseball situation. Hopefully a sub-committee of the BoT is effectively running the process.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I agree. There are very few options on the table. I seriously doubt a known coach wants to come in as a 1-year temp. If there's any internal debate at Northwestern Athletics right now, it may have to do with whether or not the assistant coaches are held to the same "you should have known" standard as Fitz.

They’ve already told the rest of the staff that they’re staying on for 2023, which has been announced publicly. If they go back on that, then they’re going to get sued for even more than they might owe Fitz… but it also wouldn’t surprise me with this clown show of an administration.

 

[jimmyNU]

They’ve already told the rest of the staff that they’re staying on for 2023, which has been announced publicly. If they go back on that, then they’re going to get sued for even more than they might owe Fitz… but it also wouldn’t surprise me with this clown show of an administration.

I missed that announcement. I suppose all of the assistants are likely to be witnesses in the upcoming lawsuit, so it makes sense to keep them close.

 

[kaTNap]

I missed that announcement. I suppose all of the assistants are likely to be witnesses in the upcoming lawsuit, so it makes sense to keep them close.

It's simpler than that. If we let more than one or maybe two assistants go, we make it very difficult to have a football season. While we might end up 0-12 in either case, there are many, many millions of dollars in revenue difference between forfeiting the season and playing it.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I missed that announcement. I suppose all of the assistants are likely to be witnesses in the upcoming lawsuit, so it makes sense to keep them close.

 

[ricko654321]

I don't understand why it's taking this long if they are just going to name Braun as interim. Are they negotiating with Chryst or Leonhard to come in as interim and stay if it works out? Are they building a trout stream in Northbrook so they can bring back Coach Hank for a season and give him a place to fish? Are they playing parcheesi hoping the whole issue magically disappears? I don't get it.

The best guess I have is they are negotiating a contract and revised terms with Braun, possibly while also feeling out other more experienced options on the side. But as everyone else has pointed out, give the incompetence we've seen over the last any myriad of alternative explanations could be the truth.

Stay tuned to find out! On the NU Athletics Wheel of Misery - hosted by Mike Schill and silently observed from afar by Derrick Gragg.

 

[mountaindrew]

I don't understand why it's taking this long if they are just going to name Braun as interim. Are they negotiating with Chryst or Leonhard to come in as interim and stay if it works out? Are they building a trout stream in Northbrook so they can bring back Coach Hank for a season and give him a place to fish? Are they playing parcheesi hoping the whole issue magically disappears? I don't get it.

A parcheesi reference! Holy cow, its been a loooong time since I heard anybody mention one of my favorite board games as a kid. You Da Man, Katnap.

 

[mountaindrew]

Stay tuned to find out! On the NU Athletics Wheel of Misery - hosted by Mike Schill and silently observed from afar by Derrick Gragg.

.... and you almost forgot - all documented and reported by Inside NU.

 

[Figrating]

There are coaches out there who are equal to this mess and NU must visit them, offer to PAY them and close the best candidate available, even if he's not perfect. I don't know what it will take to make it worthwhile for these coaches, but NU must be there with PLENTY OF CASH. It would be MUCH better to get moving toward recovery NOW, rather than a year or so from now, because NU will only be wallowing in the mess during the year+ of hand wringing and legal fighting, after which they'll still face the same problem they have today. Do it NOW, NU.

The duh-OSU HC makes some $9.6M, Iowa HC about $7M, so what will NU pay to fill one of the toughest HC jobs in all college football and now one that is amidst a hazing scandal? Shall we start at $8M?

Slower isn't always better. Even though everybody is scared and taking legal advice, let's MOVE!!! Let's get to work on what has been spoiled.

Some compare sluggish decisions to mating elephants - everything is done at a high level, lots of trumpeting and a 2-year gestation period. NU punishes itself with inaction.

 

[Figrating]

They’ve already told the rest of the staff that they’re staying on for 2023

A dynamic new, coach that's going to rebuild the program might not want this staff, so that shows you NU is not after a dynamic, new coach that's going to rebuild the program... NU might just sit still and be cautious for a year or so while it gets whacked like a pinata...

 

[ohiovalleycat]

I’m expecting a veteran coach with a chance to be the long term solution, with Braun having at least a few years guaranteed after this season and Bajakian…less so.

But it sure seems that some are expecting or hoping for a big swing for a currently employed head coach or coordinator.

To me, making a multi-year commitment on such a tight timeline makes no sense, and NU obviously can’t stay in-house for a long-term hire here. I’d also expect your pool is at least somewhat limited because many current OCs or head coaches wouldn’t be comfortable making the move.

i would also expect a veteran coach with the mission to be interim for this year as a caretaker. If things turned out unexpectedly well, then there might be mutual agreement to be the permanent coach. But really, I think the focus would be on getting a Interim Coach who just wanted a gig and didn't necessarily want to be long-term. and was just serving as a transition to the long-term solution.

 

[Darren72]

David Braun it is. Look forward to cheering him and seeing what he can do.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

A dynamic new, coach that's going to rebuild the program might not want this staff, so that shows you NU is not after a dynamic, new coach that's going to rebuild the program... NU might just sit still and be cautious for a year or so while it gets whacked like a pinata...

We very well could… after the season. You aren’t getting that guy for 2023 at this juncture.

 

[WestCoastWildcat]

“NU might just sit still and be cautious for a year or so while it gets whacked like a pinata...”

Good analogy- a piñata twisting in the wind while Force 5 hurricane approaches. No treats in the piñata either.

The Methodist church I attend just had a big blow up with all 3 women pastors deciding to depart at the same time. I had lunch with one of them today to gain some “insight”. This local institution also has some significant challenges ahead acerbated by internal conflict. Just shows that turmoil can run in institutions large and small and can shielded from the public until friction causes an explosion.

I’m pondering how the NU’s program could have collapsed so suddenly into this abyss and to have been so vulnerable to the reports of an initial single whistleblower. I have to believe the degree of “institutional oversight” may have been a factor. I expect there will be a deeper dive not only into what exactly happened but also what if any tools that were in place to prevent hazing failed to curtail it. I hope, whatever strife and division now exists will heal over time, both locally and back in Evanston.

 

[hdhntr1]

I expect an interim coach. A new head coach will be selected and all the long time assistant coaches who also should have known will be let go under the guise of the head coach being given the right to pick his people.

Hard to do all that for this season, If the firing had occurred and a more reasonable time yes but when it did, awfully hard to do anything the way it should be.

 

[Figrating]

They’ve already told the rest of the staff that they’re staying on for 2023

You'd like to think this was about the team, but watching NU facing its problems these days, it sounds more like an effort to keep witnesses close at hand.

Since NU accepts the accusations of hazing, they must also accept that some of these people bear serious responsibility for sexual assault. BUT NO DISMISSALS!!! AND NO EFFORT TO ID THE PERPS!

Everything must be in the hands of the attorneys by now...