Wisconsin brings Pitt’s Chryst home as coach

By Genaro C. Armas, Associated Press

Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014 | 5:47 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. — Paul Chryst is coming home to coach Wisconsin.

The school made it official on Wednesday, hiring Chryst away from Pittsburgh. The announcement ended days of speculation following the surprising departure of Gary Andersen for Oregon State.

Chryst is a former Wisconsin offensive coordinator and a Madison native. He leaves the Panthers after going 19-19 in three seasons, returning to his hometown and alma mater.

"Very appreciative and honored for this opportunity," he said.

The 49-year-old Chryst had two prior stints as an assistant for the Badgers. Most notably, he was part of the Wisconsin staff from 2005-11, helping the Badgers to five double-digit victory seasons and two Rose Bowls.

He was coordinator in 2011 when the high-scoring Badgers featured quarterback Russell Wilson and running back Montee Ball.

Chryst started at Pittsburgh in 2012. When Bret Bielema left Wisconsin for Arkansas after the 2012 Big Ten championship game, athletic director Barry Alvarez said then that he would not pursue Chryst for the opening after helping him get his first head-coaching job at Pitt.

Andersen ended up in Madison, and left almost exactly two years later to take over the Beavers. He departed Wisconsin on Dec. 10, the same day that star running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Melvin Gordon announced he was skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Gordon's departure was expected; Andersen's move was a stunner after leading the Badgers to a 19-7 record in two seasons.

With the job open again, Chryst quickly rose to the top of the list as a potential replacement. This time, there no was hesitation to reach out from Wisconsin.

Alvarez said the first person he thought of when Andersen informed him he was leaving was Chryst.

Unlike Andersen, a Utah native who spent most of his coaching career in the West, Chryst has roots in Madison. He remains a popular figure at Wisconsin, and the school added a dose of fanfare at his introductory news conference with a small band set up to left of a stage at the school's basketball practice court.

"To continue to grow and learn, and then leave and be able to come back ... Coach, I appreciate that, more than you know," said Chryst, turning to Alvarez, also a former Wisconsin coach.

While the Badgers look to Chryst for stability, his departure throws Pitt back into uncertainty.

The Panthers will be in the football coach market for the fourth time since Dave Wannstedt was let go after the 2010 season. Since then, Mike Haywood was fired less than a month after being lured from Miami, Ohio, after being arrested on a domestic violence charge, and Todd Graham lasted one season before quitting and taking the Arizona State job.

Chryst was then hired by athletic director Steve Pederson, who will not get another opportunity to select a Pitt coach. Pederson was fired on Wednesday in the wake of Chryst's departure.

Chryst's level-headed approach provided a needed dose of levity at Pittsburgh after a rocky 13 months prior to his arrival. He said all the right things on the day he was hired, calling the Panthers a "destination" program and volunteering to put a buyout clause into his contract.

Results on the field were mixed. Each of his three regular seasons with the Panthers ended with a 6-6 record, mixing statement wins with puzzling losses.

Chryst lost his first game on the job to Youngstown State in 2012, and then guided the Panthers to a dominant win over then-No. 13 Virginia Tech two weeks later. A loss at Navy was followed by an upset of Notre Dame in 2013.

Pitt began this season 3-0 and was up 10 points at home against Iowa before losing to the Hawkeyes, and a week later to Akron.

There appear to be pieces in place at Pitt, though, for a real turnaround. The Panthers started the year with over 80 freshmen and sophomores on the roster, one of the youngest in the country. That group includes running back James Conner — who was named the ACC Player of the Year this fall after piling up 1,675 yards and a school-record 24 touchdowns — and sophomore wide receiver Tyler Boyd.

The school had approached Chryst about an extension before this season and details were never finalized.

The Badgers, who are in the midst of practicing for the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1 against Auburn, return to the field on Thursday morning with Alvarez serving as the interim coach for the bowl game.

Now Chryst has returned home as the next coach of the Badgers.

AP Sports Writer Will Graves in Pittsburgh contributed to this story.