His words were cheering to the men and roused them out of the gloom of despair and defeat to a strong hope for the coming year.  That man was Keene Fitzpatrick.  I had heard much about him, but now that I really had come to meet him I realized what a magnetic man he was.

He knew men and how to get the best out of them.  Fitzpatrick went from Michigan to Yale, from Yale back to Michigan, and then to Princeton, where Princeton men hope he will always stay.

Michigan admirers were loath to lose Fitzpatrick and their tribute to him on leaving was as follows: 

“The University of Michigan combination was broken yesterday when Keene Fitzpatrick announced that he had accepted Princeton’s offer, to take effect in the fall of 1910.  He was trainer for Michigan for 15 years.  For five years Fitz’ has been sought by every large university in the East.

“What was Michigan’s loss, was Princeton’s gain.  He made men better, not alone physically, but morally.  His work has been uplifting along all lines of university activities.  In character and example he is as great and untiring as in his teaching and precept.  The final and definite knowledge of his determination to leave Michigan is a severe blow to the students all of whom know and appreciate his work.  Next to President Angell, no man of the University of Michigan, in the last ten years, has exerted a more wholesome influence upon the students than has Keene Fitzpatrick.  His work brought him in close touch with the students and his influence over them for good has been wonderful.  He is a man of ideals and clean life.”

“To ‘Fitz,’ as the boys called him, as much as to the great coach Yost is due Michigan’s fine record in football.  His place will be hard to fill.  Fitz has aided morally in placing athletics on a high plane and in cultivating a fine spirit of sportsmanship.  He was elected an honorary member of the class of 1913 at Princeton.  The Secretary of the class wrote him a letter in which he said:  ’The senior class deeply appreciates your successful efforts, and in behalf of the University takes this opportunity of expressing its indebtedness to you for the valuable results which you have accomplished.’”

Yost had a high opinion of Fitzpatrick.

“Fitz and I worked together for nine years,” writes Yost.  “We were like brothers during that association at Michigan.  There is no one person who contributed so much to the University of Michigan as this great trainer.  His wonderful personality, his expert assistance and that great optimism of his stood out as his leading qualifications.  My association with him is one of the pleasantest recollections of my life.  He put the men in shape, trained them and developed them.  They were ‘usable’ all the time.  He is a trainer who has his men in the finest mental condition possible.  I don’t think there was ever a trainer who kept men more fit, physically and mentally, than Keene Fitzpatrick.”