Ex-Northwestern OC suing school for defamation

Former Northwestern offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian is suing the school for defamation and spreading false information for its actions during the hazing scandal that rocked the program last summer.

Bajakian, who was fired in December and now works as an offensive analyst at Utah, named Northwestern, university president Michael Schill and athletic director Derrick Gragg in his lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court. His lawsuit states that Schill’s decision to fire coach Pat Fitzgerald, just days after announcing a two-week suspension for the coach and the findings of its own external investigation into hazing claims, cast Bajakian and other staff members “in a false and misleading light.”

Although Fitzgerald was the only football staff member fired in July 2023, Bajakian claims that the university’s response “created, perpetuated and encouraged a false and misleading narrative” about his conduct and others on the staff, and was only done in response to heavy media pressure. Bajakian served as Northwestern’s offensive coordinator for the previous four seasons after holding coordinator and/or quarterbacks coach roles with Boston College, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee, Cincinnati and Central Michigan.

According to the lawsuit, Bajakian lost the chance to have his contract renewed, could not land comparable employment and suffered reputational damage. Northwestern declined to comment on the lawsuit. David Braun, who was named Northwestern’s permanent coach in November after serving in an interim role, made several staff changes following an 8-5 season. Northwestern ranked 120th nationally in yards and 129th in scoring during Bajakian’s tenure.

Bajakian’s lawsuit also focused on Gragg’s August 2023 statement criticizing staff and team members for wearing a T-shirt that read “Cats against the World” and included Fitzgerald’s jersey number (51) at the school. The lawsuit claims Bajakian observed the T-shirts at team practices or workouts throughout late July and early August that Northwestern administrators attended without raising any objections. According to the lawsuit, Bajakian wore the T-shirt at a team practice and had a conversation with Gragg, who expressed no opposition.

But two days later, after images of Bajakian and others wearing the T-shirt appeared on social media during a football practice open to media members, Gragg issued a statement calling the shirts “inappropriate, offensive and tone deaf.” Gragg claimed that he nor the university had any knowledge of the shirts. He did not name Bajakian publicly.

“Derrick Gragg publicly maligned Michael Bajakian’s character and reputation, and misled the public through his false statement, and has caused actual damages,” Bajakian’s lawsuit reads.

Fitzgerald has filed a $130 million wrongful termination lawsuit against Northwestern, which also faces lawsuits from dozens of former athletes for hazing and mistreatment.