Of the four 10-win seasons in Northwestern history, three have come under Pat Fitzgerald, one of which being last season. At Northwestern, winning 10 games carries more meaning than at most schools; for a program bereft of much past success, every push into the national conversation moves the needle more than it would at other schools.
These highly successful seasons directly translate to better recruiting. After winning 10 games in 2012, NU’s 2014 class — players typically making their decisions in the months after the 2012 season — was one of the best in school history, producing Justin Jackson, Clayton Thorson, Tommy Doles and Garrett Dickerson, among others.