Northwestern’s Fitzgerald lets defensive coordinator go
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald is shaking up his staff after the Wildcats’ worst season in 33 years. Fitzgerald says defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil and two other assistant coaches won’t return. Defensive line coach Marty Long and wide receivers coach Dennis Springer also were let go after the Wildcats finished 1-11 for their worst record since the 1989 team went 0-11. They lost 17 of their last 18 games. Northwestern opened the season with a win in Ireland over Nebraska, which later fired coach Scott Frost. The Wildcats went into a tailspin after that. They ranked among the worst in the nation in run defense and total offense.