Newcomer wins 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year

In no way did anyone expect Northwestern to be competitive in 2023. Not after a 1-11 season and especially not after they fired Pat Fitzgerald, the program’s best head coach in its history after rampant hazing allegations. 

Back in August, the team was in complete disarray as the departure of Fitzgerald left a gaping hole in leadership. Braun had just been hired to be the team’s newest defensive coordinator after an extremely successful run as North Dakota State’s defensive coordinator — albeit at a lower level of college football.

On hiring Braun as the defensive coordinator, Fitzgerald said, “His record on the field speaks for itself during a decorated leadership tenure with one of the most successful programs in college football. The innovative ways he thinks about defense and his passion for creating relationships with players immediately stood out during a comprehensive search process. His enthusiasm for the game is obvious and infectious, and we already are beginning to see the impact he’s having on our student-athletes and staff.”

Before he knew it, the man who hired him had just left the team. Braun was thrust into the grueling position of healing the program and crawling out of the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

In what should’ve been a tough rebuilding year, Braun flipped the script.

He transformed the Wildcats into one that would go on to finish 7-5 in the regular season, good enough for 2nd in the Big Ten West.

The season started on the wrong foot, however, with an embarrassing debut loss to a Rutgers team, where the offense didn’t score any points until the 4th quarter. Quarterback Ben Bryant looked lost, throwing for only 169 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions.

The Wildcats would go on to lose to Duke and faced a tough road test the week after against Minnesota. This is exactly where Braun and the ‘Cats would turn the corner, toughing out an overtime victory in which Ben Bryant went off for nearly 400 yards passing and four touchdowns while not turning the ball over.

In what was a statement win, Northwestern found its identity. 

Besides a blowout loss against a visiting Penn State, Northwestern played every opponent tough and nearly upset No. 18 Iowa, losing just by three points. Combine that with gritty, one-possession victories over Maryland, Wisconsin, Purdue, and the Wildcats, who were becoming one of the better teams in the conference while also becoming one of the best stories in the nation.

It would all culminate in the final game of the season against their in-state rival, Illinois. The year prior the Illini had beat the brakes off the Wildcats 41-3, forcing them to limp into an offseason of despair. 

When Illinois hit them with multiple knockout punches just last week, they continued to keep fighting. The ‘Cats would end up holding on for a 45-43 victory, ensuring a bowl berth and that the program was moving in the right direction.

The future of Northwestern football looks brighter than it has in a long time.

The university already removed the interim tag on Braun, making him the full-time coach. With schools like USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington set to join the conference, Northwestern should be able to recruit players they never imagined they could get.

It was announced earlier today that David Braun was named the consensus Big Ten Coach of the Year, deservingly so. He will continue to leave his imprint on the program in the years to come.