Pat Fitzgerald isn’t going anywhere.
Not to the Bears, a rumor that pinballed around for a while late in both teams’ seasons. Not to the NFL or a college football superpower.
Mr. Wildcat is sticking around, where he belongs. Northwestern has signed him to a new deal that runs through the 2030 season, the school announced Wednesday.
“From the moment I stepped on campus as an undergraduate, I have believed this is the finest university in the country, with the potential to offer an unmatched student-athlete experience,” Fitzgerald said in a statement.
The winningest coach in school history and the sixth-longest-tenured head coach in the FBS ranks, Fitzgerald, 46, will try to build on a highly respected record that includes Big Ten West titles in two of the last three seasons.
“We have one of the best coaches in college football and, more importantly, a leader uncommonly suited to this university,” said athletic department head Jim Phillips in a statement. “Over the course of his tenure, Coach Fitzgerald has built a culture of unwavering belief in excellence both on and off the field and led our Wildcats to unprecedented, sustained success.”
It is essentially a final major act for Phillips before he leaves for the ACC next month to become its new commissioner.
