Pat Fitzgerald could be a guy the Green Bay Packers go after as their next head coach. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated (via Zach Kruse of Packers Wire), the Northwestern University head coach has been listed a candidate to be the next Packers head coach. Fitzgerald has ties with Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy as Fitzgerald was hired by Murphy to be the head coach for the Wildcats when Murphy was the school's athletic director.

"The Packers’ search is underway, and the one name that multiple folks brought up over the last week was Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, who was hired into that job by Green Bay president/ex-NU AD Mark Murphy. Murphy’s running the show here, with half-dozen execs, including GM Brian Gutekunst, working with him," Breer wrote.

The Packers will end the 2018 season this Sunday against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Make sure you’re in the loop – take five seconds to Sign up for our FREE Packers newsletter now!

Fitzgerald has been the head coach of the Wildcats since 2006 but he's been a coach at the school since 2001. He also played linebacker for the Wildcats from 1993-1996, so when it comes down to it, he bleeds Northwestern football and has had his share of success as a head coach. Since 2006, Fitzgerald has posted a record of 95-70 and has won three bowl games. His 95 wins at Northwestern is a school record as well as his 56 wins against Big Ten teams. He has also led the Wildcats to nine bowl games in his 13 seasons. Before Fitzgerald became the head coach, the Wildcats had only been to six bowl games in their 123-year history.

Earlier this month, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora said the Packers should go after Fitzgerald.

"I would go all out to make this candidate, who just turned 44 this week, feel as wanted and appreciated and needed as possible, because, to me, this is the absolute perfect fit to try to take this team back to the promised land," La Canfora said. "As best I can see it, especially in this year where there are so few "sure thing" head coaching candidates in the NFL, and with upwards of a third of the teams in the NFL perhaps seeking a new leader, Fitzgerald would be the perfect boss for this club, at this very time."

La Canfora got a chance to talk to a number of NFL officials about Fitzgerald and they all think he can be a great NFL coach.

"Total stud," as one long-time NFL scout told La Canfora. "I would hire him in a minute. But he's never leaving Northwestern."

"Everything about him would play in the NFL," an NFL decision-maker said. "But I don't think that's what he wants. He's not going anywhere"

"He would be at the top of my list," said one NFL personnel man with a team considering a coaching change. "But I don't think we'd have much of a chance to get him. It's a lot like David Shaw at Stanford. Are they ever going to really leave?"