Chryst newest coach to lead Panthers football team into season

For the second consecutive spring practice session, the Pitt football team went to work installing new offensive and defensive systems. For the second consecutive spring practice session, the Pitt football team went to work installing new offensive and defensive systems.

Following the unexpected departure of last season’s head coach, Todd Graham, to Arizona State, former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst was named the new head coach of Pitt’s football team and was tagged with the duty of implementing his system this spring.

Chryst’s system will strike many Pitt fans as similar to that of Dave Wannstedt, the Pitt alumnus who coached the Panthers before Graham. It is a run-first offense looking to pass the ball on play-action when the opposing defense expects the run.

Wisconsin’s offense excelled under Chryst last season.

The Badgers’ balanced attack averaged more than 200 yards per game both passing and rushing and finished sixth in the country with 44.1 points per game. Wisconsin’s running back Montee Ball also tied the NCAA record for touchdowns in a season with 39, finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting and was named an All-American by multiple sources.

Unlike Graham, who refused to stray from his fast-paced spread offense even when it struggled, Chryst has stated that he is trying to learn the abilities of his players and build an offense to fit them.

“I think getting to know the system, [the coaches] getting to know [the players] and them improving as players, more than anything, is important now,” Chryst said. “We don’t have a game, fortunately, for a while, and it’s about improving individually.”

After watching Graham refuse to alter his offense to accommodate the skills of Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri, Panther fans will find comfort this year knowing that, at Wisconsin, Chryst adapted his offense to suit mobile quarterback Russell Wilson.

Wilson found success with that change — the Badgers won the Big Ten championship then advanced to their second straight Rose Bowl.

Chryst and new offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph plan to utilize another attacking aspect of the game more frequently: the tight end as a receiving option. The player in that position is often said to be the quarterback’s best friend, and Sunseri will be asked to look to his senior tight end Hubie Graham.

“It is a unique situation that our tight ends coach is also our offensive coordinator,” Graham said, referring to Rudolph. “The tight ends are such a big part of our offense. It’s a great responsibility and opportunity for us to contribute to the offense’s success.”

At Wisconsin, Chryst produced two All-American tight ends and saw a tight end from his school selected in the NFL Draft in each of the last three years. Like Rudolph, Chryst has a background working with tight ends. He was once the tight ends coach for the San Diego Chargers, and he started at Wisconsin coaching the same position.

A history of developing a strong offensive line is also something that Chryst and his assistants bring with them from Wisconsin, which means more will be expected out of Pitt’s linemen this season.

“You have to like football to be around us,” offensive line coach Jim Hueber said. “We’re going to coach them hard and make sure they prepare. We’re not going to accept mistakes. We’re going to expect nothing but excellence, and if we don’t get it, we’re going to try and get it the next time.”

These expectations of excellence paid dividends at Wisconsin. Chryst’s Badgers produced four All-American linemen in his seven seasons there.

The Panthers’ offensive line will need to stay healthy this year if it hopes to succeed. Chris Jacobson, who missed almost all of last season after suffering an injury, was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA and will be crucial to the offensive line along with senior center Ryan Turnley.

“I feel like I can take control out there and really help the other guys and be a leader out there,” Turnley said. “I think the other guys look to me and Chris Jacobson for help with grasping this system and trying to pick it up quickly.”

Other key players with injuries heading into the spring included returning star running back Ray Graham, linebacker Todd Thomas, safety Jarred Holley and wide receiver Mike Shanahan. Corner K’Waun Williams also was hurt and needed shoulder surgery in the middle of spring practice.

For the wide receivers, the system change has been welcomed, as it has allowed them to get back to the same routes and concepts learned in the Wannstedt era, just with different names. For this reason, Shanahan shouldn’t be too far behind entering summer camp.

“Mike Shanahan and I were talking about that, because that’s what we came in as — a pro-style offense,” receiver Devin Street said. “There’s a lot of familiarity with it and a lot of the same concepts, just different terminologies. The concepts are great, and they get our guys open.”

When Holley returns from his injury, he’ll be re-entering arguably Pitt’s most talented defensive position grouping on the field at the two safety slots.

Following a great junior campaign, Holley will be accompanied in the defensive secondary by junior Jason Hendricks, senior Andrew Taglianetti and transfer Ray Vinopal, who impressed both coaching staffs with his will to work at practice.

Vinopal said he was happy to finally put the pads on and hit — as Coach Graham didn’t allow the practice squad to hit — and the safety was relegated to that squad because the NCAA requires players to sit out a year after transferring. He transferred from Michigan.

“It’s always an awesome feeling going out and knocking some heads around for the first day,” Vinopal said. “Last year, I played on the scout team and didn’t get to go full speed as much, and it was awesome just to cut loose for the first time in a while.”

The new defensive style has Taglianetti excited, because the safeties are now allowed to come closer to the line of scrimmage and work on stopping the run instead of staying back and focusing solely on defending the pass.

“The thing I like about it is the safeties get really involved, especially with the run,” Taglianetti said. “A lot of times we’re down in the box. Compared to last year, there were times when I was 15 or 20 yards deep and it seemed like I was out of the play a little bit. Now we’re pretty much considered a linebacker. It’s a lot more exciting, and I really think this scheme is going to do good things for us.”

With summer camp still in the future, Chryst knows that if these guys keep working hard, he will have a difficult decision regarding which two safeties to start. Until then, he’s just hoping they keep making it a tough decision for the first-year head coach.

“I think you keep playing, and that would be great if that was the problem,” Chryst said. “They need to keep going. The real competition is within yourself, and are you being the best player you can be. The other stuff will work out. If you’re a good football player and you can do it consistently, then you will play a lot of football.”

That statement can apply to every position, as Chryst looks to get the best 11 players on the field on each side of the ball. He said every starting position is yet to be determined, and he has challenged his players to earn their spots.

“The great thing about sports is that in every game you have to prove yourself, and every year you have to prove yourself,” Chryst said. “We can all make a pretty good bet on some spots and who should start. The great thing is they still have to go out and do it. There is nothing more important than this team and Pitt football, and I talked to the group about that. If you’re true to that, then your best 11 players shouldn’t sit out.”