Wisconsin Football Coaching Search All But Over? Paul Chryst Speaks Out on Candidacy
ByPaul Chryst has broken his silence on the Wisconsin head football coach job, but confirmed what many already knew.
According to the Associated Press, Chryst is still the coach at Pitt even though it may not be for much longer. Chryst is in Fort Worth, Texas for his team's Armed Forces Bowl game against Houston on Jan. 2.
Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez has previously indicated that no official announcements will be made before Wednesday, Dec. 17. Chryst said much of the same, but at this point is seems to be a question of "when" he will confirmed as the Badgers head football coach.
"I was told nothing will happen before then," Chryst told the AP. "I don't know and I don't know what they're thinking specifically. It probably depends on the search."
The Badgers saw Gary Andersen abruptly leave for Oregon State, reportedly for family-related reasons. Alvarez said at the time that he keeps a shortlist of potential candidates for such occasions and Chryst's candidacy quickly became apparent.
"I feel really fortunate to be at Pitt and working with a group of guys," Chryst said. "When something like this comes up, they understand that and you just tell them the truth."
Wisconsin has reached out to Greg Schiano, the AP reported, who went last season without a coaching job after a disastrous and short stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Though Schiano has a great track record in college, Chryst appears to be the better fit for Wisconsin due to his strong ties to the school and to the Big Ten conference.
"The truth of it is, I talked to them and then once I was done talking, it's all about getting back and getting our team ready for this bowl game and recruiting," Chryst said. "That's really where it's at right now."