[NU Sports] Fired

[CHerron604 at aol.com]

"Has Northwestern ever fired a coach or did they all leave due to  
"restiveness" a la Ara  Parseghian.?"

To the best of my recollection (or whatever I have read...)

1926  Glenn Thistlethwaite got restive, and went to Wisconsin after his championship season (He was later forced to resign there).

1934  Dick Hanley resigned after a few too many bad seasons.

1946  Pappy Waldorf got restive and went to Cal, where he lost to Northwestern in the Rose Bowl.

1954  Bob Voigts resigned, allegedly under pressure from unnamed alums.

1955  I have no idea what Lou Saban did - does anyone remember ?  He was back coaching at Western Illinois a year or so later.

1963  Ara got restive and went to Notre Dame.

1972  Alex Agase got restive and went to Purdue.

1977  I am not sure...Did John Pont technically resign to become AD ?

1980  Rick Venturi was definitely fired by Bob Strotz (John Pont as AD also).  I vaguely remember the screaming Daily headlines and the grievances of the African-American players.

1985  Dennis Green got restive, and went to work with his old friend Bill Walsh for the NFL 49ers.

1991  I certainly seem to recall that Fran Peay got fired, but he might have been forced to resign.

1998   Gary Barnett got restive and went to Colorado.

So it looks like 3 firings in 75 years ?  Saban, Venturi and Peay.

Chuck Herron   Tech '85