sATHENS — The investigation into hazing allegations at Northwestern underscores the value of Kirby Smart building and maintaining close relationships between players and coaches that has translated on the field.
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ESPN is reporting that Northwestern president Michael Schill is reconsidering the penalty for Fitzgerald — who has been the head coach since 2006 —and will speak to university leadership to reconsider the penalty.
“In determining an appropriate penalty for the head coach, I focused too much on what the report concluded he didn’t know and not enough on what he should have known,” Schill wrote, per the ESPN report.
“As the head coach of one of our athletics programs, coach Fitzgerald is not only responsible for what happens within the program but also must take great care to uphold our institutional commitment to the student experience. ... Clearly, he failed to uphold that commitment, and I failed to sufficiently consider that failure in levying a sanction.”
The Daily Northwestern reported the hazing involved “coerced sexual acts,” with testimony from a former player that “vile and inhumane behavior” took.
Per the player, who chose to remain anonymous in the report, player-victims were restrained by upperclassmen wearing masks before inappropriate hazing activity took place.
The report also included allegations of freshmen players being forced to strip naked and perform various acts in team areas,
including a naked center-quarterback exchange.
