Badgers officially hire Paul Chryst
Updated: December 17, 2014, 7:56 PM ET
Associated Press
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.
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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.
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