(Editor’s Note: This story was originally published at 4:43 EST before the news of Fitzgerald’s firing broke. It has been updated since to account for the firing.)
I have said multiple times that Pat Fitzgerald is among those with the most job security in College Football. That just makes the culture of hazing within the program all the more ridiculous, preventable, and harmful to those involved. Now that Fitzgerald has been fired, the Wildcats will ideally find somebody with direct ties to the school, but at least somebody with experience at another prestigious academic university. Experience coaching in the Midwest will also be a big positive. We do not know yet who the interim will be this fall, but it’s never too early to look at candidates who might be the full-time coach in 2024.
Mike Kafka
Offensive Coordinator, New York Giants
The former Wildcat QB is my odds-on favorite for this job. He was a standout player here, was a position coach to Patrick Mahomes, and led the Giants’ underpowered offense to the playoffs in 2022. Kafka knows the place well and would be able to sell it to recruits.
He is a man who checks almost all the boxes of candidates for this job. However, he doesn’t have any previous head coaching experience. But neither did Fitzgerald, so that isn’t a prerequisite here. The only question here is if Kafka wants to stay in the NFL. He was a finalist for multiple head coaching jobs in the past two years and has limited college coaching experience.
Lou Ayeni
Running Backs Coach, Denver Broncos
Another Wildcat alumni, Ayeni played RB for the Wildcats Big Ten championship team in 2000 before switching to DB. He has experience as a running backs coach for Northwestern, Toledo, Iowa State, and the Denver Broncos. In addition, Ayeni has been an associate HC for the Rockets and Cyclones.
Ayeni is another guy who checks most of the boxes for this job and will be a strong candidate. He has more coaching experience, especially in college, but lacks the QB development and coordinator history that Kafka has.
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Tommy Rees
Offensive Coordinator, Alabama
A Chicagoland native, Rees started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northwestern. An alumni and long-time coach of Notre Dame, this checks the boxes of a strong academic background and Midwest experience that Northwestern will be looking for. Rees has recruited this area well in recent years and looks to be an up-and-comer in the coaching ranks.
He is now Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator, and all his guys go on to be P5 head coaches. Rees will inevitably get a head coaching job, I don’t know if it will be at Northwestern, but he should at least have his name brought up.
Jason Candle
Head Coach, Toledo
I swear I’m not Jason Candle’s PR guy, despite his name coming up in my previous three articles. He’s just doing great things at Toledo. He lacks the Northwestern connection and experience at a school they’ll view as an academic equal, but he does bring significant head coaching success, Midwest ties, and more experience than most at this level who’ll be considered for the job.
Candle should have a good squad in 2023, better than Northwestern, but the pull of the Big 10 and the resources Northwestern can offer will be appealing to most. If previous head coaching experience and ties to the Midwest end up being the driving factors, he’s the guy to watch.
David Shaw
Former Head Coach, Stanford
When coming out of a scandal, a mild-mannered, low-key, level-headed veteran with past success is always a smart move. If the scandal gets worse in terms of what we find out, Shaw will be very appealing as a guy to come in and steady the ship. His experience at an elite academic school in Stanford will look good to anybody, as will his coaching in the NFL.
Shaw has the personality, resume, and know-how to be in charge of a struggling team. He also won’t be overwhelmed coming after a scandal, while younger coaches may not be able to handle it. While his end at Stanford wasn’t the best, he had that program rolling in the early/mid-2010s. I think the worse this scandal gets, the more appealing Shaw gets.
