Northwestern associate head football coach Matt MacPherson has been accused of witnessing incidents of hazing during the tenure of ex-coach Pat Fitzgerald, according to a new report from Josh Peter of USA Today.
Former Northwestern football player Ramon Diaz, as well as another person in contact with several former players, accused MacPherson of witnessing the hazing and doing nothing about it, per the report.
Players were performing naked pull-ups and engaging in other forms of hazing, Diaz said, and MacPherson came in and out of the locker room while the incidents were occurring.
“He would come in and laugh at the guy[s] who was doing the naked pull-ups,” Diaz told USA Today via text message. MacPherson also is accused of witnessing players being dry humped during a ritual called “running,” a source told USA Today. The incidents occurred during training camp at Wisconsin’s Camp Kenosha, which is where several other hazing incidents reportedly occurred.
Diaz was an offensive lineman at Northwestern from 2005-08. MacPherson remains on staff following the termination of Fitzgerald. MacPherson officially joined the coaching staff in ’06, a few months prior to Fitzgerald being hired as the school’s coach. He previously served the program as a graduate assistant coach, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The report further uncovers the hazing taking place under Fitzgerald’s watch, which ultimately led to his dismissal from the school after 17 years at the helm. Several lawsuits are open against the school’s administration following the reported incidents, in a tumultuous period for the university that doesn’t appear close to an end.
