Northwestern has agreed in principle to hire Skip Holtz as the special assistant to the head coach for the 2023 season, Pete Thamel is reporting.

Holtz’s assignment, per Thamel, is temporary and won’t interfere with his USFL job as the head coach of the Birmingham Stallions.

Last week, it was reported Northwestern wanted to add a veteran presence to their staff to help lead the program alongside interim head coach David Braun this fall in the wake of Pat Fitzgerald’s dismissal.

Holtz is coming off a USFL season in which he led the Stallions to a league title and was named the league’s coach of the year. In fact, after last season’s 8-2 record, he is 17-3 in the past two years.

Northwestern is facing multiple lawsuits from male and female athletes, including one by former quarterback Lloyd Yates, alleging hazing by teammates that includes sexual abuse. The 52-page complaint also said coaches made racially charged comments to players of color.

Northwestern fired Fitzgerald on July 10. Baseball coach Jim Foster was let go three days later amid misconduct allegations.

Braun was elevated to interim coach six months after he was hired as the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator. He spent the previous four seasons in the same position at North Dakota State, where he helped lead the Bison to FCS national championships in 2019 and 2021.

The Birmingham Stallions repeated as the USFL’s champions on Saturday night by not trying to defend their 2022 title.

The Stallions defeated the Pittsburgh Maulers 28-12 in the 2023 USFL Championship Game on Saturday night in Canton, Ohio.

The USFL has not announced its plans for the 2024 season, although season tickets for the Stallions are on sale. In 2022, the USFL played its entire regular season in Birmingham, moving to Canton for the postseason because of the arrival of the World Games in the Magic City. In 2023, the USFL placed two teams in each of four cities, with the Stallions sharing Birmingham with the Breakers.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.