Coaching Changes | HailToPurple.com

Reports: Fitz Gets Hankwitz for DC;
Hires McCall for OC;
Washington Heads to Bears

The NU football staff continues its fundamental changes during this eventful offseason. Close on the trail of the recent announcements that NU Athletic Director Mark Murphy was heading for Green Bay and Coach Fitzgerald had fired Defensive Coordinator Greg Colby, fans have also learned that Offensive Coordinator Garrick McGee and Defensive Line Coach Eric Washington are leaving, and that NU is poised to name its new football coordinators this week.

Hankwitz to DC

First reported by Turk on the Rivals message board, and later reported by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and WGN Radio, Coach Fitzgerald has picked up former Wisconsin defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz.

Hankwitz has, to say the least, and impressive resume. He led the Badger defense in 2006 and 2007, a defense that ranked fifth overall in the nation in '06. Before that, Hankwitz served as the DC at Colorado, and was Colorado's interim head coach for their bowl game in 2005 after the school fired... Gary Barnett. During an earlier stint as Colorado's DC, Hankwitz contributed to the Buffaloes' 1990 national title (as did then OC... Gary Barnett). Hankwitz was also DC-- and also interim head coach-- at Arizona, and served as DC at Texas A&M, Western Michigan and Kansas. He also served as an assistant coach at Purdue.

Hankwitz, besides having probably more diverse and varied experience as a Division I defensive coordinator than anyone currently coaching, is known as a master motivator. According to the Texas A&M bio that was linked earlier on the Rivals message board, "As a motivational tool, Hankwitz, along with the help of the A&M video department, occasionally put together a six- or seven-minute highlight film that incorporated music, graphics, movie clips, motivational messages and game footage." He was known as "the Mad Scientist."

Welcome, Coach Hankwitz!

McCall to OC

Also, the Sporting News reported on January 10 that NU will name Bowling Green offensive coordinator Mick McCall as its new OC, replacing the departing Garrick McGee.

When BGSU Head Coach Gregg Brandon promoted McCall to the Falcons' OC last year, he noted McCall's "wealth of experience to share and his ability to communicate and relate to the players on the offensive side of the ball." Before last season, McCall had been the Falcons' QB coach. Wildcat fans are experienced with Coach McCall's quarterback coaching work: it was a McCall-coached Josh Harris who threw against NU in the 2003 Motor City Bowl.

Considering that Coach McGee also served as NU's quarterback coach, Coach McCall seems to be a logical fit into the Wildcat staff. McCall also has experience coaching running backs (at Wyoming), and also served as an assistant coach at Oregon State from 1988-90, at Idaho State from 1983-87 and at the University of Southern Colorado from 1979-82 (another Colorado connection... who happened to be working for Gregg Brandon... hmm... mysterious, or not so mysterious, forces seem to be lurking about).

Welcome, Coach McCall!

Washington to the Chicago Bears

The Daily Herald has confirmed a story that TheTurkReport (the Scoopmaster has been nearly as busy this January as Fitz!) first reported on January 11: defensive line coach Eric Washington is leaving the program. Washington, who spent four seasons with the 'Cats, will take a position with the Chicago Bears.

With the rapid changes now in play in Evanston, it is clear that Coach Fitzgerald is shaping the staff and putting his stamp on the program. Given the reaction from many fans in Wisconsin and Ohio, who have shown the value they put on the two incoming coordinators, it would seem that Fitz's moves have been well-played. The staff is becoming more balanced, with both younger and more experienced coaches who are bringing experience from nearly every position and confernece. An already exciting offseason is starting to show a lot of potential for entertainment.