() Northwestern University and Pat Fitzgerald have reached a settlement in the $130 million lawsuit the former football coach filed against the school in 2023 alleging he was wrongly fired in the wake of a hazing scandal.

In announcing the settlement, Northwestern also said evidence uncovered during “extensive discovery” did not find that any football player reported hazing to Fitzgerald or that he “condoned or directed any hazing.” 

The school added that Fitzgerald was “incredibly upset and saddened by the negative impact this conduct had on players within the program” when hearing about the hazing. 

The settlement marks the end of a yearslong legal battle touched off by allegations and lawsuits by former football players in 2023 alleging sexual abuse and racial discrimination on the team. 

In a statement through his attorneys, Fitzgerald said he still has the “utmost respect” for Northwestern but that the ordeal has caused a lot of pain. 

“For the past two years, I have engaged in a process of extensive fact and expert discovery, which showed what I have known and said all along—that I had no knowledge of hazing ever occurring in the Northwestern football program, and that I never directed or encouraged hazing in any way,” he said. 

“The rush to judgment in the media in July of 2023 and the reports that suggested I knew about and directed hazing are false and have caused me, my wife, and my three sons great stress, embarrassment, and reputational harm in the last two years.” 

Fitzgerald was initially suspended for two weeks but then fired after an investigation. The school concluded that he had a responsibility to know that hazing was occurring and should have stopped it.

The former coach alleges the school illegally terminated his employment and damaged his reputation, among other things.

He alleged in his suit that he met with the school’s athletic director and general counsel, who told Fitzgerald that the school wanted him to “take a hit” for the findings in the investigation. 

His lawsuit also alleged that Northwestern violated an oral contract that Fitzgerald would not face further penalties if he accepted the suspension and issued a statement supporting the program.

Last year, a judge consolidated Fitzgerald’s complaint and the student lawsuits for the discovery process. 

Fitzgerald has not taken another coaching job since his firing. He started coaching at Northwestern in 2006.

The former coach led the school to a 110-101 record and by a wide margin more wins than any other coach. Northwestern won Big Ten West championships in 2018 and 2020, plus five bowl games. But the team went 4-20 over his last two seasons.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.