More than two weeks have lapsed since Northwestern fired coach Pat Fitzgerald after an investigation found rampant hazing within the football program. Since then, athletic director Derrick Gragg has largely been absent, as controversy has swirled around everything from the hiring of since-fired baseball coach Jim Foster to comments Gragg made about women in a book he wrote.
On Wednesday morning, Gragg gave his first interview since the firing to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, pledging the eradication of hazing within the Wildcats’ athletic programs.
“This entire situation, it’s distressing,” Gragg said. “My heart goes out to everyone who’s involved—victims, of course—but I also want to stress that we have many student-athletes who do the right thing and have always done the right thing, and coaches and staff as well. As the situation evolves, we’re very serious about eradicating anything that’s wrong, the president and the university.”
