Fired Northwestern Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald Is Suing School for $130M for Wrongful Termination

Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald stands on the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Oct. 23, 2021. Carlos Osorio/AP Photo

CHICAGO—Former Northwestern University football coach Pat Fitzgerald is suing the school for $130 million, saying his alma mater wrongfully fired him in the wake of a hazing and abuse scandal that has engulfed the athletic department.

The announcement by Chicago-based attorney Dan K. Webb on Thursday comes nearly three months after Fitzgerald was suspended and then fired after 17 years as head coach of the Wildcats.