Northwestern does not plan on making changes to the coaching staff following a second consecutive 5-7 football season.

As recruiting has improved for the Wildcats in recent years, the team was expected to build and progress off a 10-3 season in 2012 that included a Gator Bowl victory.

Instead, NU dropped seven of its last eight games after a 4-0 start in 2013 and followed up the disappointing campaign with another 5-7 effort this season.

Since the early part of the 2014 season, the Cats’ offense had been under fire, especially for personnel usage that some perceived to be inconsistent with the players the team recruited. And offensive coordinator Mick McCall has been a target for much of the vitriol from the NU faithful.

Coach Pat Fitzgerald is sticking with McCall and the rest of his group. Better recruiting classes means more talent, but NU’s offensive malaise can’t last another season if the Cats expect to climb back up the ladder.