Pat Fitzgerald has long been on the radar of NFL teams, but has consistently rebuffed any interest. That may be about to change.
Fitzgerald’s Northwestern Wildcats finished off a 7-2 season on Saturday with a 35-19 win over Auburn in the Citrus Bowl. Afterwards, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Fitzgerald is expected to attract NFL interest again, but could actually be willing to listen this time.
With the bowl victory secured, #Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald now has NFL interest to sort through. There's a feeling he'll at least listen, though he's stayed loyal to the Wildcats despite past NFL overtures.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 1, 2021
Fitzgerald has been Northwestern’s head coach since 2006, with an overall record of 106-81. The 46-year-old has no NFL coaching experience, but is obviously well-respected within the league given the quality of coaching jobs he’s declined to interview for previously.
Fitzgerald was a star linebacker for Northwestern in the 1990s, so prying him away from the school will be difficult. Based on this, though, it may be more plausible than it has been in the past.
Photo: Brian Myers/Wikimedia via cc-by-sa 3.0
