Rocked by hazing scandal, Northwestern hopes Braun can help steady program

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — David Braun had no idea just how much his life would change when Pat Fitzgerald hired him to be Northwestern's defensive coordinator in January.

Steadying a program rocked by a hazing scandal wasn't part of his job description. It is now.

Braun finds himself leading a Big Ten team as the interim coach after Fitzgerald got fired last month with the program embroiled in a hazing and abuse scandal.

“Is it crystallizing that I'm the head coach? I would say no,” Braun said. “That's gonna take some good time. Interesting context and circumstances ... but what I can say is the opportunity to get back with this group, with this staff, with this team and to get back to football has been just a great opportunity for us to get back into a certain level of routine."

The Wildcats were already reeling after going a combined 4-20 the past two seasons while going 1-8 in Big Ten play both years. They were 1-11 overall in 2022 and didn't win a game on U.S. soil. Northwestern beat Nebraska in Ireland to start the season and unraveled from there.

The Wildcats have to replace a big chunk of their starting lineup, including left tackle Peter Skoronski, who was drafted with the 11th overall pick by the Tennessee Titans. They would be in a tough spot under normal circumstances. And these are anything but normal circumstances.

Northwestern is facing more than a dozen lawsuits across multiple sports with allegations including sexual abuse of players by teammates as well as racist comments by coaches and race-based assaults. The cases span from 2004 to 2022, and attorneys representing some of the athletes who have already sued say more are coming.

Fitzgerald was fired July 10 after an investigation concluded the coaching staff should have known about ongoing hazing. He has maintained he had no knowledge of any of it.

Braun, who has never been a college head coach, took over on an interim basis six months after he was hired. It has been a bumpy beginning.

Athletic director Derrick Gragg criticized assistant football coaches and staff members for wearing shirts supporting Fitzgerald at the first practice open to media, calling them “inappropriate, offensive and tone deaf” given the scandal. The rebuke came after Braun called their decision to wear the shirts a free speech issue.

With all that happening, the season probably can't come soon enough for Northwestern, even if it figures to be a rough one. The Wildcats open with a rare Sunday afternoon game at Rutgers on Sept. 3.

NEW LEADER

Braun spent the past four years at North Dakota State and helped the Bison win FCS national championships in 2019 and 2021. He has never worked at an FBS program, let alone led one.

HELP FROM HOLTZ

Braun will have another set of eyes on the team after Northwestern hired veteran college football coach Skip Holtz in a temporary role as a special assistant.

Holtz, the son of former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz, has 17 years of experience as a major college football head coach with East Carolina, South Florida and Louisiana Tech. He is 118-98 overall at this level and was 64-50 with six bowl victories at La Tech before he and the school parted ways after the 2021 season.

Holtz also coached UConn for five years before the program moved to the top tier of Division I.

QB COMPETITION

Northwestern, which ranked last in the Big Ten in scoring a year ago, has a quarterback competition.

Ryan Hilinski, who opened last season as the starter before getting benched, is back. So is replacement Brendan Sullivan.

Cincinnati transfer Ben Bryant is also in the mix. He threw for 2,731 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season, helping the Bearcats go 9-4. Bryant played three seasons at Cincinnati before transferring to Eastern Michigan in 2021. In an unusual move, he returned to the Bearcats after Desmond Ridder left for the NFL.

SHAKY OFFENSE

The Wildcats could have trouble moving the ball. Their top returning rusher is Cam Porter with 286 yards last season. And their leading returning receiver is Bryce Kirtz, who had 212 yards.

ON TAP

Northwestern's home opener is against UTEP on Sept. 9. The Wildcats also host Penn State on Sept. 30 and meet Iowa at Wrigley Field on Nov. 4. Other notable games are at Wisconsin on Nov. 11, a home matchup against defending Big Ten West champion Purdue the following week and at Illinois on Nov. 25.

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