“My love and respect for Northwestern and for our student-athletes, coaches and staff are greater than my own desire to lead the department. I do not want to be a distraction to our incredible men and women as is pursues the collective goal of helping our student-athletes become the best they can be,” Polisky said. “While my family and I are disappointed, I move forward knowing this is the right decision.” Several faculty members had penned a letter to the provost, saying the promotion is alarming, troubling and embarrassing. They said the timing isn’t right given the pending lawsuit and they want the university to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations.