Northwestern Interim HC David Braun denies dialogue on ongoing Northwestern hazing scandal: "I won't speak to current allegations"

David Braun has been placed in the tough position of cleaning up the mess left behind by previous head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Braun, who was hired as the Northwestern Wildcats' defensive coordinator in January 2023, was given the title of interim head coach following Fitzgerald's firing.

Speaking at the Big Ten media days on Wednesday, Braun revealed that he will not be addressing allegations of the coaching staff being involved in hazing, stating:

"I won’t speak to current allegations. I fully trust our university is going through a process and will make decisions based on the facts. What I will speak to is how proud I am of the way that our team has come together with all this stuff swirling around our football team." [h/t The Athletic]

Four lawsuits have been filed against the university by former football players, alleging hazing. These, according to Northwestern's president Michael Schill, include forced participation, nudity, and degrading sexual acts. Schill added that the culture of the program was broken.

While Braun was not a part of the coaching staff at the time that the alleged hazing took place, he has been charged with cleaning up the program. ESPN's Pete Thamel previously noted as much, stating:

"Braun's first task will be preserving the Northwestern roster, as many players and parents are upset at the handling of Fitzgerald's departure. The Northwestern players have a window of nearly four more weeks in which they can transfer without penalty."

What is David Braun's coaching history?

David Braun has never coached Division I football at the FBS level. He has also never been a head coach at any level. Braun spent the past four years as the defensive coordinator of the North Dakota State Bison.

He was named the 2021 FCS Coordinator of the Year. Braun led the Bison to be the top-ranked scoring defense in the FCS in 2019 and 2021 as they won the FCS Championship in both years.

While he will be tasked with a much tougher opportunity - aside from cleaning up the mess, the Wildcats were just 1-11 last season - Braun expressed his belief in the program at Big Ten media day:

"I never could have imagined, nor did I desire to become a head coach under these kinds of circumstances. That said, I’m honored to lead this group moving forward.

"Through one-on-one meetings with the majority of our team, I have found a team that has come together, that truly loves one another and has an incredible resolve to attack the 2023 season and write their own story about overcoming adversity. Let me be clear, this football team will be ready to go." [h/t The Athletic]

While David Braun may have high hopes for the program, it is difficult to envision a bounce-back season. The Wildcats 2023 recruiting class ranks just 61st in the nation, according to 247 Sports.