Fired Northwestern Coach Wants To Move Up Trial, Return To Football Soon – News18

An lawyer for former Northwestern soccer coach Pat Fitzgerald urged a decide Tuesday to maneuver up the trial in a dispute over his firing, saying he can’t get one other main job till he places a hazing scandal behind him.

“It has decimated his career,” lawyer Dan Webb mentioned.

Fitzgerald was initially suspended for 2 weeks after which fired final yr after 17 years as head coach of the Wildcats. Northwestern mentioned he had a duty to know that hazing was occurring and will have stopped it.

Fitzgerald denies wrongdoing. He responded by suing the college for $130 million, claiming he was wrongly fired.

A Cook County decide has set an April 2025 trial date, however Webb needs it moved to December 2024.

“If we get a trial in December and he’s exonerated, he will still have January to get a coaching position” elsewhere, Webb mentioned. “But if he misses three seasons in a row, it’s going to be significantly different.”

Judge Daniel Kubasiak acknowledged that timing is vital to Fitzgerald, however he added: “I’m not sure I can necessarily allow that to dictate.”

Reid Schar, an lawyer representing Northwestern, mentioned dates and deadlines within the case thus far appear to be aggressive. He famous that paperwork quantity within the 1000’s.

Fitzgerald has “chosen to pursue this litigation,” Schar mentioned. “And so we have to pick a schedule that’s actually achievable, not one that’s defined by what he might want to do for the rest of his life.”

The decide set a standing listening to for April 2. He hopes the lawsuit will be settled.

“I don’t think any party wins if this matter goes to trial,” Kubasiak mentioned.

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AP school soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)