Northwestern University's athletics program, the Wildcats, is in serious disarray. A report from the school's student newspaper, The Daily Northwestern, has led to a major hazing scandal.
Pat Fitzgerald, who had been viewed as nearly untouchable regarding job safety, was dismissed. Fitzgerald was the longtime head football coach and a star player and assistant coach before that. Head baseball coach Jim Foster was also fired for similar reasons. Former MLB player Brian Anderson has been tasked for the time being with leading the baseball team. Matters regarding the football team seem to be more unsettled.
Wannstedt rejects coaching opportunity at the school
Yahoo reports that Dave Wannstedt has turned down a chance to join Northwestern's football coaching staff. Wannstedt is a familiar figure in the Evanston, Illinois region where Northwestern is located.
He was evidently in talks to join the program in a special assistant coaching capacity. Somebody that could help with the transition under the new, unexpected interim head coach Braun. Who had only just been hired as the defensive coordinator earlier this year? But Wannstedt seems to be decidedly unimpressed with what the position would entail. Or the likelihood of it working successfully.
"What's the position of this guy," he asks, referring to the duties.
Wannsted also seemed to imply that the theoretical position could be more influential than the head coach. Or other assistant coaches already in place. They are making for a confusing and disrupted chain of authority.
"The players need to be playing for their head coach. The coaches need to know they're coaching with the head coach," he said.
The head coach has to be "their guy, or everybody's going to sit on their hands."
Northwestern also reportedly approached Skip Holtz for the assistant position. But ESPN reports he will not be taking the job. It was unclear which party's decision that was. Holtz is the head coach of the USFL's Birmingham Stallions, leading them to two championships.
He was previously head coach of several NCAA programs, including winning two Conference USA titles with East Carolina University. Lou's father was head coach at Notre Dame when they won the 1988 National Championship.
Wannstedt is a former NFL and NCAA head coach
Dave Wannstedt played in the NCAA at the University of Pittsburgh. He was drafted to the NFL by the Green Bay Packers, but a neck injury effectively ended his playing career. Afterward, he began his coaching career as an assistant with his alma mater. Wannstedt helped the Pitt Panthers win the 1976 National Championship in that role. He later did the same as defensive coordinator with the University of Miami in 1987.
Later, in the NFL as defensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys, Wannstedt was part of the Super Bowl XXVIII Championship team.
Afterward, he spent several years as head coach of the Chicago Bears. From there, he took the same position with the Miami Dolphins, leading them to the 2000 AFC East Championship.
Wannstedt eventually returned to Pitt to become head coach of the football team. His tenure included notching a Big East Conference Co-Championship, but he resigned shortly after.
After brief NFL assistant coaching stints with the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Wannstedt went into broadcasting. He has been a local media commentator in Chicago. As well as for a larger audience with FOX Sports and the Big Ten Network.
