 Chryst in April 2015 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1965-11-17)November 17, 1965 (age 59) Madison, Wisconsin U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1986–1988 | Wisconsin |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1989–1990 | West Virginia (GA) |
| 1991 | San Antonio Riders (WR/TE) |
| 1992 | San Antonio Riders (RB/TE) |
| 1993 (spring) | Edmonton Eskimos (WR) |
| 1993 | Wisconsin–Platteville (OC/QB/WR) |
| 1994 (spring) | Ottawa Rough Riders (ST) |
| 1994 | Ottawa Rough Riders (QB/RB/WR) |
| 1995 | Illinois State (OC/QB) |
| 1996 | Saskatchewan Roughriders (OC/QB) |
| 1997–1998 | Oregon State (OC/QB) |
| 1999–2001 | San Diego Chargers (TE) |
| 2002 | Wisconsin (TE) |
| 2003–2004 | Oregon State (OC/QB) |
| 2005 | Wisconsin (co-OC/TE) |
| 2006–2011 | Wisconsin (OC/QB) |
| 2012–2014 | Pittsburgh |
| 2015–2022 | Wisconsin |
| 2023 | Texas (OA/special asst. to HC) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 86–45 |
| Bowls | 7–2 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 3Big Ten West Division (2016, 2017, 2019) | |
| Awards | |
| 2×Big Ten Coach of the Year (2016, 2017) | |
Paul Joseph Chryst[1] (born November 17, 1965) is an Americanfootball coach. He served as the head football coach at theUniversity of Pittsburgh from 2012 to 2014 and theUniversity of Wisconsin—Madison from 2015 to 2022. Chryst had previously been theoffensive coordinator at Wisconsin from 2005 through 2011. He also served in the same capacity atOregon State University and was an assistant coach for theSan Diego Chargers of theNational Football League (NFL). Chryst playedcollege football at Wisconsin, where he lettered as aquarterback andtight end from 1986 to 1988.
The son of ahigh school football coach, Chryst was born and raised inMadison, Wisconsin. The family moved toPlatteville, Wisconsin, when his father,George Chryst, became the head football coach at theUniversity of Wisconsin–Platteville in 1979.[2]
Chryst attendedPlatteville High School, where he was a three-time letterman in football and basketball, and also lettered in baseball and track. As the startingquarterback, he led the 1982 and 1983 Hillmen to consecutive Southern Eight Conference titles and the Wisconsin Division 4 state championship in 1983.[3]
Chryst graduated from theUniversity of Wisconsin in 1988 with a degree inpolitical science, and was a two-time football letter winner at the quarterback and tight end position for the Badgers. He added a master's degree in educational administration fromWest Virginia University in 1990.
Paul Chryst started his career as a graduate assistant atWest Virginia (1989–90), and was then an assistant coach for theWorld League'sSan Antonio Riders (1991–92),Wisconsin–Platteville (1993),CFL'sOttawa Rough Riders (1994),Illinois State (1995), CFL'sSaskatchewan Roughriders (1996), andOregon State (1997–98).
He was thetight ends coach for the NFL'sSan Diego Chargers from 1999 to 2001, where he was instrumental in the development ofFreddie Jones into one of the NFL's toptight ends, as well as coachingSteve Heiden, who eventually started with theCleveland Browns.
Chryst returned to college football in 2002 asWisconsin's tight ends coach. He then became theoffensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon State in 2003. The Beavers ranked 10th nationally in total offense (463.0 ypg) and 6th nationally in passing yardage per game (328.1) in 2003. The 2003 Beavers became the first team inNCAA Division I history with a 4,000-yard passer, 1,500-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers. Among the Oregon State stars he coached were RBKen Simonton, the school's careerrushing leader, QBDerek Anderson, who left as thePac-10's No. 2 career passing leader, and RBSteven Jackson, a 2004 first-round draft choice for theSt. Louis Rams.
Chryst came back to Wisconsin in 2005 as co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach. Under his direction, the Wisconsin offense showed immediate and drastic improvement. The 2005 team set school records for both scoring average (34.3 ppg) and for points scored in a season (446). UW scored at least 40 points six times in 2005. After ending the 2005 season with a 10–3 record, Chryst became the sole offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The 2006 offense was again potent under Chryst, and helped the team to a strong 12–1 finish. Chryst's strong offenses helped guide Wisconsin to back-to-backRose Bowl appearances in 2010 and 2011. Chryst was a 2011 finalist for theBroyles Award, given annually to the nation's top college football assistant coach.
Chryst was hired as the head football coach atPittsburgh on December 22, 2012. Chryst went 19–19 across three seasons at Pittsburgh and won one bowl game, the2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
On December 17, 2014, Chryst was introduced as the head coach at Wisconsin following the departure ofGary Andersen.[4]
In Chryst'sfirst season, the Badgers went 10–3 and finished 1st nationally in scoring defense (13.7 points per game) and 2nd in total defense (268.5 yards per game). All three losses came to teams that were in theAP top 25 at the end of the season, eventual national champions #1Alabama, #9Iowa and #23Northwestern. Chryst also won theHoliday Bowl againstUSC, whom the Badgers had a 0–6 record against before the game, with their last meeting being in 1965 at theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
In the opening game of the2016 season, the unranked Badgers upset #5LSU atLambeau Field. Following the opening week of college football when the newAP Poll was released the Badgers were ranked #10, the highest the Badgers had been ranked since the2011 season where Chryst was the offensive coordinator for theRussell Wilson-led Wisconsin team. On November 29, 2016, Chryst was selected by coaches as theHayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year in the Big Ten Conference.[5]
Despite the Badgers going 12–1 in2017, Wisconsin was held out of the College Football Playoff. However, Chryst was again named the Hayes–Schembechler Big Ten Coach of the Year and Wisconsin beatMiami in the2017 Orange Bowl.
In2018, the Badgers finished 5–4 in Big Ten play, tying for second place in the West Division. Overall they were 8–5 with a win overMiami in the2018 Pinstripe Bowl.
The2019 Badgers went 10–4, winning the Big Ten West division but ending their season with losses toOhio State in theBig Ten Football Championship Game andOregon in theRose Bowl.
The2020 season was delayed and shortened due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The Badger finished 4–3 with a win overWake Forest in theDuke's Mayo Bowl
In2021, the Badgers started with a dismal 1–3 record, before starting a 7-game win streak.[6] They lost their regular season finale againstMinnesota and fell out of contention to win the Big Ten West. The Badgers finished the season with a record of 9–4 with victory overArizona State in theLas Vegas Bowl.[7]
Chryst was fired on October 2, 2022, after the Badgers started the2022 season 2–3 (0–2 Big Ten).[8][9][10] He finished at Wisconsin with an overall record of 67–26 (.720), and 43–18 (.705) in Big Ten play.
Chryst and his wife, Robin, have three children, daughters Katy and JoJo, and son Danny. He is the brother of formerMid-American Conference commissionerRick Chryst and formerSan Francisco 49ers offensive coordinatorGeep Chryst. His nephewsKeller Chryst and Jackson Chryst play football. Keller played quarterback forTennessee while Jackson is a quarterback atUniversity of Wisconsin Whitewater.
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Panthers(Big East Conference)(2012) | |||||||||
| 2012 | Pittsburgh | 6–7 | 3–4 | 5th | LBBVA Compass | ||||
| Pittsburgh Panthers(Atlantic Coast Conference)(2013–2014) | |||||||||
| 2013 | Pittsburgh | 7–6 | 3–5 | 6th(Coastal) | WLittle Caesars Pizza | ||||
| 2014 | Pittsburgh | 6–6 | 4–4 | T–3rd(Coastal) | Armed Forces[a] | ||||
| Pittsburgh: | 19–19 | 10–13 | |||||||
| Wisconsin Badgers(Big Ten Conference)(2015–2022) | |||||||||
| 2015 | Wisconsin | 10–3 | 6–2 | T–2nd(West) | WHoliday | 21 | 21 | ||
| 2016 | Wisconsin | 11–3 | 7–2 | 1st(West) | WCotton† | 9 | 9 | ||
| 2017 | Wisconsin | 13–1 | 9–0 | 1st(West) | WOrange† | 6 | 7 | ||
| 2018 | Wisconsin | 8–5 | 5–4 | T–2nd(West) | WPinstripe | ||||
| 2019 | Wisconsin | 10–4 | 7–2 | T–1st(West) | LRose† | 13 | 11 | ||
| 2020 | Wisconsin | 4–3 | 3–3 | 3rd(West) | WDuke's Mayo | ||||
| 2021 | Wisconsin | 9–4 | 6–3 | T–2nd(West) | WLas Vegas | ||||
| 2022 | Wisconsin | 2–3[b] | 0–2 | ||||||
| Wisconsin: | 67–26 | 43–18 | |||||||
| Total: | 86–45 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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