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Ten candidates to replace Jim O’Neil as Northwestern’s defensive coordinator

On Tuesday afternoon, Northwestern football announced it had parted ways with three coaches, the most notable of them defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil. The struggles of O’Neil’s defense, which gave up at least 17 points in 21 of 24 games under the DC, were well-documented during his tenure in Evanston.

With O’Neil out of the picture, Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats must conduct a search — a broad one at that — to determine their next defensive whiz. When a new defensive coordinator will be hired is anyone’s guess, but recent history suggests it may occur in early-to-mid December.