Northwestern has named David Braun its interim football coach, the school announced Friday.

Braun came to the Wildcats as defensive coordinator in January after working in the same role at North Dakota State for four seasons. He replaces Pat Fitzgerald, who was fired Monday amid a hazing scandal involving current and former players.

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“The opportunity to lead this team at this crucial moment in its history is not something I take lightly, and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me by (athletics director David) Gragg and Northwestern leadership,” Braun said. “Our focus today and every day moving forward is on supporting these men, many of whom have only been on campus for several weeks, in their preparation for the 2023 football season and the 2023-24 academic year.”

A defensive tackle at Winona State (Minn.) in the mid-2000s, Braun began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 2008-09. He was defensive coordinator there from 2011-14 and has also worked at Culver-Stockton (Mo.), UC Davis and Northern Iowa.

Braun was defensive coordinator at North Dakota State from 2019-22, helping the Bison win a pair of FCS national championships. He was named FCS Defensive Coordinator of the Year by Football Scoop in 2021.

Fitzgerald, Northwestern’s head coach since 2006 and a former All-America linebacker at the school, was first suspended for two weeks before university president Michael Schill reversed his initial decision and dismissed him. Fitzgerald has since retained counsel with the idea of challenging his firing.

Northwestern, which went 1-11 in 2022, opens the season Sept. 3 at Rutgers.