Northwestern fires head football coach Pat Fitzgerald amid hazing scandal

• Northwestern coach fired while on suspension amid scandal
• Fitzgerald, 48, played linebacker for school before coaching

Northwestern has fired coach Pat Fitzgerald amid a hazing scandal that called into question his leadership of the program and damaged the university's reputation after it mishandled its response to the allegations.

Fitzgerald's dismissal on Monday completed a rapid fall from grace for the former Northwestern linebacker. The 48-year-old Fitzgerald had been firmly entrenched at his alma mater, an annual fixture on any list of college coaches with the most job security.