Northwestern Signs Fitzgerald to New Contract Through 2015

After leading Northwestern to a nine win season and a berth in the Alamo Bowl, Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips announced that head coach Pat Fitzgerald agreed to a new contract that runs through the 2015 season.“To be certain, I am absolutely ecstatic that we have come to an agreement with Coach Pat Fitzgerald on a long-term contract extension,” said Phillips. “This has been one of our top priorities the past few months. There is no doubt that Pat is the right individual to lead Northwestern’s football program well into the future.” “In three years, Pat has quickly developed into one of the nation’s top young head coaches. He bleeds purple and has tremendous passion for Northwestern. His student-athletes absolutely love playing football for him. Besides our accomplishments on the football field, and just as importantly, our program is enjoying unprecedented academic success, having registered a team GPA above a 3.0 this past year -- the first time that has happened in our school’s history. “I’m thrilled about the future of Northwestern football with Pat on board for many years to come.” Fitzgerald, the former All-American linebacker who took over as head coach after head coach Randy Walker‘s sudden death, endured a shaky start before his breakthrough 2008 season. He is 19-18 in his three seasons in Evanston.