Northwestern Names Former LB Pat Fitzgerald as Head Coach

Pat Fitzgerald as a NW star player in 1996 touchdown.com

CHICAGO - Former two-time Nagurski Award winner Pat Fitzgerald, who helped lead Northwestern to the 1996 Rose Bowl as a standout junior linebacker, was the named the Wildcats 29th head football coach on Friday.

Fitzgerald replaces Randy Walker, the seven-year NU head coach who died suddenly of a heart attack on June 29th.

At 31 years old, Fitzgerald becomes the youngest head coach in Division I-A and takes over a team that finished 7-5 in 2005 and secured a spot in the Vitalis Sun Bowl against UCLA, a game they lost 50-38.

He joined the Wildcats staff under Walker in 2001 as the defensive secondary coach, became the linebackers coach in 2002 and later added the title of recruiting coordinator. Fitzgerald previously spent time as an assistant at Colorado, Idaho and Maryland.

In addition to the Nagurski Award, Fitzgerald twice captured the Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in both 1995 and 1996.

He helped Northwestern capture at least a share of the conference title in both seasons, while the school's 1996 Rose Bowl appearance was their first berth in the annual classic in 47 years.

Fitzgerald joins a trend of 30-something coaches receiving head coaching jobs on the I-A level this offseason, a list that includes Wisconsin's Bret Bielema (36), Kansas State's Ron Prince (36) and Temple's Al Golden (37).

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