On the cusp of preseason camp, Northwestern reportedly is making yet another significant move within its football program.
After firing Pat Fitzgerald three weeks ago on July 10, the Wildcats are preparing to bring aboard Skip Holtz -- son of College Football Hall of Famer Lou Holtz and a veteran college football head coach in his own right -- in a senior advisory role to interim head coach David Braun.
The news was first reported by ESPN. Sources confirmed to FootballScoop that Holtz will join Northwestern and then return to his post in the USFL
Fitzgerald was abruptly fired on the heels of the school's third-party, internal investigation into allegations of a hazing culture inside the Northwestern program; the school initially had announced its findings did not suggest Fitzgerald knew of the alleged widespread hazing and that he would be issued a two-week suspension.
Just days later, Fitzgerald was fired and Northwestern elevated Braun, the school's first-year defensive coordinator, into the interim head coach's role. Braun subsequently has been named the Wildcats's head coach for the entire 2023 season.
Since that time, multiple lawsuits have been filed against the school and its athletics department; Fitzgerald also has retained an attorney.
With Holtz, Braun could have an elder coaching voice with a fresh, outside perspective on the Wildcats. He has notched 151 career wins as a collegiate head coach at Connecticut, East Carolina, South Florida and, most recently, Louisiana Tech.
Holtz also has been serving as the head coach of the USFL's Birmingham franchise the past two seasons of that league, posting an 17-3 mark and back-to-back USFL championships.
Northwestern is set to open its 2023 campaign Sept. 3, a rare Sunday college contest, on the road at Big Ten foe Rutgers.