Is Fitz Going Pro?

These college coaches take NFL jobs for prestige. If Fitz took the Bears job it wouldn’t be about money, it’s challenging himself at the next level to feed his ego. The money is a side benefit and I bet if he took the Bears job and failed he would have enough money to be set and there’s a chance he could even slide back into a cushy college job if he wanted. From our perspective it looks dumb for all the reasons listed here but some people crave the attention and being in the big lights.
 
ssckelley said:
These college coaches take NFL jobs for prestige. If Fitz took the Bears job it wouldn’t be about money, it’s challenging himself at the next level to feed his ego. The money is a side benefit and I bet if he took the Bears job and failed he would have enough money to be set and there’s a chance he could even slide back into a cushy college job if he wanted. From our perspective it looks dumb for all the reasons listed here but some people crave the attention and being in the big lights.
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I had Cats season tickets for years and have seen a few Fitz pressers. Fitz is a very high IQ guy. I seriously don't think Fitz's idea of a good time is sitting around getting peppered with angry questions by some asswipe who makes $38k per annum after his kicker misses a game winning field goal. The media covering Northwestern is just looking for content to fill a little air time or print column and they know the audience is really small. The clowns who cover the Bears are looking for a "storyline" and are more than willing to make it. I think Fitz would snap if he had to deal with NFL media or if he coached somewhere like Iowa or Michigan where he had to travel to the sticks and deal with several people everyday with room temperature IQs.
 
okeefe4prez said:
I had Cats season tickets for years and have seen a few Fitz pressers. Fitz is a very high IQ guy. I seriously don't think Fitz's idea of a good time is sitting around getting peppered with angry questions by some asswipe who makes $38k per annum after his kicker misses a game winning field goal. The media covering Northwestern is just looking for content to fill a little air time or print column and they know the audience is really small. The clowns who cover the Bears are looking for a "storyline" and are more than willing to make it. I think Fitz would snap if he had to deal with NFL media or if he coached somewhere like Iowa or Michigan where he had to travel to the sticks and deal with several people everyday with room temperature IQs.
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He did consider the Packers job, granted he wasn't a candidate for long but he was in the mix initially, which tells us he must have some level of interest coaching in the NFL. People are saying that those close to him believe the Bears job is the only one he would seriously consider. But perhaps it's all noise and people just trying to generate clicks but I don't think the chances are zero.
 
I don't think he'd consider leaving what he's got for the short term 'fun' of coaching the Bears or anywhere else in the NFL. If he was he'd have left NW like 5 or 6 yrs ago. Granted he's plenty young enough yet so I can't guarantee anything. Things just look like he's as entrenched as any coach could be. That school allows for him to bottom out like they did last yr and have a few rough years in a row because well they are NW. But he's not goin to have that often because he's a dang good coach. It's hard not to respect that guy I think he'd be fun to have a beer with at an airport bar.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
I don't think he'd consider leaving what he's got for the short term 'fun' of coaching the Bears or anywhere else in the NFL. If he was he'd have left NW like 5 or 6 yrs ago. Granted he's plenty young enough yet so I can't guarantee anything. Things just look like he's as entrenched as any coach could be. That school allows for him to bottom out like they did last yr and have a few rough years in a row because well they are NW. But he's not goin to have that often because he's a dang good coach. It's hard not to respect that guy I think he'd be fun to have a beer with at an airport bar.
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Definitely. If Fitz isn't the best coach in the Big Ten, he's certainly top 3.

NW may be the magic sweet spot for him - i.e. the set of skills he brings might be perfect for the NW situation, but may or may not translate to the NFL or even another university. At the same time, that statement I just made is at the very heart of the ego question: how strong is his itch to prove he can get it done in another setting? Not just that, but in a setting that is the highest level of competition for his chosen field.

A normal dude like me looks at it and thinks, he's got job security, he's adored, and he makes loads of money - why the hell would he mess with that? But I think you can rest assured he's not a "normal dude" - this is someone whose "normal" is actually "exceptional". The world looks very different to him, I'm sure of it.
 
As someone who gave up on the Bears during the Cutler years, I'd have no better enjoyment than watching Fitz suffer loss after loss in that dumpster fire. Never seem an organization do such a piss poor job at evaluating talent at the QB position. At what point do you just turn it over to a blind- folded chimpanzee and just let him throw darts at pictures on a wall, or better yet just give the chimp a helmet and a playbook.
 
kicker22 said:
As someone who gave up on the Bears during the Cutler years, I'd have no better enjoyment than watching Fitz suffer loss after loss in that dumpster fire. Never seem an organization do such a piss poor job at evaluating talent at the QB position. At what point do you just turn it over to a blind- folded chimpanzee and just let him throw darts at pictures on a wall, or better yet just give the chimp a helmet and a playbook.
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I blv that's animal cruelty.
 
Now that jNW athletic director Jim Phillips has taken a conference commish position, it’s not difficult to see where they might look to for his replacement.

What are the possibilities that Fitz would want to pull an Alvarez and do double duty (and take his name completely out of play for the Bears or any other NFL job) ?
 
Northside Hawk said:
Now that jNW athletic director Jim Phillips has taken a conference commish position, it’s not difficult to see where they might look to for his replacement.

What are the possibilities that Fitz would want to pull an Alvarez and do double duty (and take his name completely out of play for the Bears or any other NFL job) ?
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Dividing his attention could only help!
 
Fitz has it made. He's pulling down $3.3M/yr (plus outside income), has as much job security as KFz and lower expectations. At 46 he's the second-most tenured coach in the B1G and 8th most in the country.

He'd be a fool to leave NW. Ride this out...maybe become AD at some point if he tired of the rigors of coaching and recruiting but still want to work. On the other hand he could give the NFL a go and if it didn't work out, have some extra coin in the bank (the avg NFL HC makes $6-7M/yr). I'm sure he'd be welcomed back to NW with open arms if an AD or big admin job was available.
 
My guess is there's a better chance of Harbaugh coaching the Bears then Fitz. I don't think Fitz is going anywhere. There's a better chance he someday is chasing how long KF ends up having been at Iowa for then him going to the pros. He's a smart guy has a good thing going. If he's got them over performing once every 3 or 4 yrs that's all it takes. And he's been doing way better then that lately.
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
Fitz has it made. He's pulling down $3.3M/yr (plus outside income), has as much job security as KFz and lower expectations. At 46 he's the second-most tenured coach in the B1G and 8th most in the country.

He'd be a fool to leave NW. Ride this out...maybe become AD at some point if he tired of the rigors of coaching and recruiting but still want to work. On the other hand he could give the NFL a go and if it didn't work out, have some extra coin in the bank (the avg NFL HC makes $6-7M/yr). I'm sure he'd be welcomed back to NW with open arms if an AD or big admin job was available.
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Breh, he made $5.1 million salary and bonus in 2018 according to the Form 990. So he's not looking at an extra $3 mill, it's more like an extra mill. If he makes the move, it ain't gonna be money driving it.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
My guess is there's a better chance of Harbaugh coaching the Bears then Fitz. I don't think Fitz is going anywhere. There's a better chance he someday is chasing how long KF ends up having been at Iowa for then him going to the pros. He's a smart guy has a good thing going. If he's got them over performing once every 3 or 4 yrs that's all it takes. And he's been doing way better then that lately.
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More division titles than Ferentz, Lovie, Fleck, Brohm and Frost combined. That's pretty impressive.
 
okeefe4prez said:
Breh, he made $5.1 million salary and bonus in 2018 according to the Form 990. So he's not looking at an extra $3 mill, it's more like an extra mill. If he makes the move, it ain't gonna be money driving it.
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Like I said "extra income" (his salary was listed at 3.3, must be old data). Where does one get his form 990? Help me out, this is an area you know more about.

Assuming those numbers are correct, all the more reason for him to stay at NW (your point)
 
Just type the name of any charity into the Google machine along with the words "Form 990." Then scroll a few pages to find the compensation section.
 
proudhawkfan21 said:
A good college football coach with his kind of track record and squeaky clean image...he could pick his spot if he is patient if he wasn't successful in the pros. Heck I'd hire him to replace KF if that is in 2-3 yrs. I'd say shoot your shot Fitz.
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I personally think Fitz is the best coach in college ball. Getting more from less. Every year. Great game day coach also. Purple is in his DNA, and think he is probably at his dream job. He probably couldn't live with leaving NW, and watching them freefall as a program.
 
MattinColumbus said:
Bears fan here, too. And I strongly agree with your last sentence. Start with a new owner and get rid of Ted Phillips.
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Ironic that we talk about getting rid of people associated with DA BEARS on a Hawkeye Football Forum. That’s hilarious. “2004”.................2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020. That’s a looooooooooooong time without a conference title.

Que buzz light year.........”to infinity and beyond!!!!!!!!!”

Yeah I’ve been a bear fan, cub fan, and Hawkeye fan for over fifty years. Sucks to seldom ever win the BIG ONE!
 
BigD said:
Ironic that we talk about getting rid of people associated with DA BEARS on a Hawkeye Football Forum. That’s hilarious. “2004”.................2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020. That’s a looooooooooooong time without a conference title.

Que buzz light year.........”to infinity and beyond!!!!!!!!!”

Yeah I’ve been a bear fan, cub fan, and Hawkeye fan for over fifty years. Sucks to seldom ever win the BIG ONE!
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1985 since we won it outright.

I was in kindergarten and I'm 40 years old.
 
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