Result: Fitz is NU’s best coach over the last 25 years

[lou v]

And it wasn’t close.

WildcatReport - Best in 25 Years Series: Fitz is Northwestern's top coach

No surprise: Pat Fitzgerald captured your vote as the best Northwestern head coach over the last quarter century.

northwestern.rivals.com

 

[zeek55]

I'm not surprised by the vote, but I will say that it was probably a tough decision for most of us.

If you asked this question before 2018, Barnett probably wins by the margin that Fitz won. Before this year, I'd probably still lean Barnett slightly.

I think the past 3 years are why Fitz is probably ahead for those that voted for him now, which includes me.

Yes there is recency bias at play to the extent that 2018-2020 just happened compared to 1995-1996 which is 25 years ago. But I don't think that is an overwhelming consideration here.

Since 2018 we have 2 Big Ten West titles, 2 more ranked finishes including #10 in both polls this year, and 2 high quality bowl wins (Citrus against Auburn and Holiday against Pac-12 South champion Utah).

If you add 2018 and 2020 to the sum before that from Fitz's first 12 years: the 3 10-win seasons, 3 ranked finishes, 3 bowl wins in 8 bowl appearances; it's enough to give the edge to Fitz now.

The Big Ten title issue is tough. Obviously we're in a 14 team Big Ten now with a championship game so it's hard to compare with 1995-2000 championships of the then 11 team Big Ten which each have different weights.

I would say outright division titles (like 2018/2020) are comparable to shared Big Ten titles (like 1996/2000), but the championship result and bowl game and its result also matter. There's a lot to weigh.

One final factor that favors Fitz but shouldn't is we all expect to win a Big Ten title at some point as long as he keeps putting together teams like 2018 and 2020 that are good enough to have a decent chance of beating a team like Ohio State. Once we do win a title, this debate will be moot in my opinion.

 

[SmellyCat]

Barnett performed a miracle in 1995, but what Fitz has done is even more remarkable - he has turned pitiful little Northwestern into a contender year after year. Even in down years, they are nothing like the easy win they once were. When all is said and done, if he coaches 20 more years here, he may go down as one of the greatest college football coaches at any school EVER.

 

[phatcat]

Barnett performed a miracle in 1995, but what Fitz has done is even more remarkable - he has turned pitiful little Northwestern into a contender year after year. Even in down years, they are nothing like the easy win they once were. When all is said and done, if he coaches 20 more years here, he may go down as one of the greatest college football coaches at any school EVER.

It's interesting how people value different facets of coaching. I really care deeply about the university and the kids on the team. I want them to graduate. I want them to stay out of trouble. And I am relieved at how successful the COVID prevention was. To others, that is a sprig of parsley on the plate. If I were a parent of a student athlete, I'd want him to play for Fitz. He's imperfect, and I pi$$ and moan about stuff just like the rest of you. But he's ours. And he's the best. I wouldn't trade him for Dabo Swindle (oops Freudian autocorrect)

 

[SmellyCat]

You're absolutely right phatcat, and I didn't mean to minimize that in my response, because it's incredibly important to me and many of the other fans here. We can be proud of our coach, staff, and players, even if they go 0-12 every year. It's just not as fun.

 

[Catreporter]

Gary did a miracle but left because I think he was afraid he could not sustain the success. Fitz now has sustained that success which to Gary didn't seem possible (and he might have been right due to the facility deficit and lack of administrative commitment when he left.) To follow a 3-9 disaster with a 7-2 season like we just had was pretty close to miracle territory and Fitz has indeed caused a sufferer through the Dark Ages to "expect victory," and to be disappointed when it doesn't happen.

 

[DaCat]

Gary did a miracle but left because I think he was afraid he could not sustain the success. Fitz now has sustained that success which to Gary didn't seem possible (and he might have been right due to the facility deficit and lack of administrative commitment when he left.) To follow a 3-9 disaster with a 7-2 season like we just had was pretty close to miracle territory and Fitz has indeed caused a sufferer through the Dark Ages to "expect victory," and to be disappointed when it doesn't happen.

The 3-9 season wouldn't have been as bad if TJ Green didn't get injured. With basically the same team, but a QB like Peyton Ramsey, Fitz returned to the B1G championship game.

 

[zeek55]

The 3-9 season wouldn't have been as bad if TJ Green didn't get injured. With basically the same team, but a QB like Peyton Ramsey, Fitz returned to the B1G championship game.

Yeah, and that 3-9 also included a couple close losses and a bunch of relatively low scoring games.

Past couple years really shows that if our offense can take the next step while our defense remains elite, we can probably win the Big Ten multiple times under Fitz.

I know we're not Alabama, but we sort of win games like Alabama did before they transitioned to really focusing on blowing opponents out in high scoring shootouts. Ohio State is another example; we sort of play like Tressel's teams did. We've had a bunch of game managing QBs, and we win close games against good teams by making one or two extra plays.

Nowadays those teams still have great defenses, but they put so many more game breaking players on the field offensively; especially those WRs that it's near impossible to stay in front of...

Question is whether we can make that transition; personnel obviously matters.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

We've been blessed with three incredible coaches over the last 25 years.

 

[zeek55]

We've been blessed with three incredible coaches over the last 25 years.

How small that number is also is another amazing thing. So many Power 5 programs have gone through 7-8 coaches in that same time frame.