Northwestern interim head coach David Braun spoke to the media for 45 minutes at a smaller podium this afternoon at Big Ten Media Days, covering the fallout from the hazing investigation, his role as interim head coach and his plan for the team going forward.

Here are out takeaways from Braun's second press conference of the day:

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David Braun at the podium l Braun survives first turn in the spotlight

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1. Braun plans to stay the defensive play caller, hire assistant

"Let me be clear, if this was January, then we'd hire a defensive coordinator immediately," said Braun. "Due to the context, the timing of the situation and putting our defensive players at the forefront of that decision making process, I plan to call the defense.

"We put a great deal of effort into spring ball and I've been fortunate to be calling a defense for quite a long time."

Braun said later on that the team plans to hire a defensive assistant coach to add to his staff. Multiple media reports say that will be Eastern Washington defensive coordinator Jeff Copp.

"We do plan on bringing in a defensive assistant. We will ensure [for that hire] that it is a person that wants to be in our difficult situation," he said.

"It's gonna take a special person that's going to say, 'I'm going to leave my job and I'm going to run I'm going to run to the fire.' This person better put the student-athlete as their top priority...and then be there to make sure that our staff that's currently in place can continue to stay in a rhythm or routine that we created over the spring."

2. Braun showed humility and confidence going forward

Braun feels good about his defense going into the season, despite the fact that the unit finished 110th in the nation against the run last year.

"What we built in the spring was very much built off of North Dakota State's influence. Then we kept some of the things that [previous defensive coordinator Mike] Hankwitz had done that our guys were very comfortable with that in terms of winning in the Big Ten, and then some things that I've mentioned that were really working for [last year's defensive coordinator] Jim O'Neil's defense...that our guys are comfortable with and had recently installed," Braun said.

Braun takes a team approach to building a defense, and doesn't look at the unit has "his" defense, but "our" defense.

"Let's check our egos at the door," he said. "I mean, what's going to help us win football games? The evolution will be identifying how the team has grown over the summer and what we need to tweak before the season."

Braun also voiced significant confidence in the team, saying their goals are what they always are: win the West, return to Indianapolis for the Big Ten championship game, and win a bowl game.

3. Braun's passion and faith were evident

This is a complex and difficult situation for a coach, but Braun made it clear he is well aware of his responsibility to the program and to his players, and that he takes that burden head on.

"I thought I was running to my ultimate dream job where I hoped to be until Fitz retired," Braun said. "I honestly didn't think I was running to the fire...I truly believe that my journey and our family's journey, that the Lord has marked my steps by putting me in situations that have prepared me for this situation. That doesn't mean it's going to be easy.

"I truly believe that this team is going to do great things."

Braun said there was no doubt in his mind that he'd be willing to take on the task of interim head coach.

"Absolutely not," Braun said if he thought of turning down the role. "I hope I've been raised in a way that I'm a guy that people can count on. I'll stand in the fire with you, I'll run to the fire for you."

4. He spoke highly of Fitzgerald's legacy and impact on him personally

Braun closed his press conference by responding to a question about fired head coach Pat Fitzgerald's lasting impact on him and the program, while stressing that he can't comment on anything that happened before his arrival last winter.

"I've admired Coach Fitz for a long time. Everything that I've experienced since I arrived on January 16th of this year aligned with everything I believe him to be," Braun said.

"What you see is what you get and he's a man that stood for the holistic development of young men and prioritizes family. Those are things that I admire and look up to."

Braun may no longer have Fitzgerald as a boss, but his connection to the program runs separate to that as a parent. Fitzgerald's son, Jack, is still on the team as a walk-on tight end.

Braun alluded to staying in contact with Fitzgerald in his ongoing capacity as a parent of a player.

"Those conversations are private," Braun said. "[But] what I can say is that he has a son on the team and I've been trying to be very intentional about making sure that I'm connecting with with the parents of the young men on our team...

"Pat is someone where there was a long-standing relationship and someone I plan on having as a friend for a long time."

5. Braun wouldn't go into detail on investigation, has focused on preparing his team

Braun declined to answer questions about the potential involvement of active assistant coaches like associate head coach Matt MacPherson and strength and conditioning coach Jay Hooten in the fallout of the hazing investigation on the grounds that he didn't want to address allegations, only what has been proven by the university. He also declined to answer other questions about the investigation's details due to ongoing litigation.

Further, Braun said that he has not read the investigation's report, only its executive summary, because he has faith in the administration to adjudicate it. He has not kept up with new allegations from lawsuits and reporting, though some have been brought to his attention. Instead, he prefers to focus on preparing the team.

"I read the executive summary and then there's things that have been brought to my attention that I absolutely had to know... I'm trusting our administrators and the support around me to bring things to my attention that I need to know about and I'll be pouring every other ounce of my energy into the people in our facility, most specifically our players."

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