Football: Chryst takes over at Pitt, starts hiring assistants

Eight days after losing Todd Graham to Arizona State, Pitt introduced Paul Chryst as its new… Eight days after losing Todd Graham to Arizona State, Pitt introduced Paul Chryst as its new football head coach at its South Side facility on Dec. 22.

Following Dave Wannstedt’s pressured resignation, Michael Haywood’s firing after a domestic abuse charge and Todd Graham’s recent departure, Chryst became the fourth Pitt football head coach in the last 13 months.

Chryst left his alma mater  — the University of Wisconsin  — to accept the head-coaching position at Pitt. He had been the Badgers’ offensive coordinator since 2005 and was considered by many to be one of the best coordinators in college football.

Describing the decision to take the head-coaching job at Pitt as a “no-brainer,” Chryst said it was the history of Pitt football that attracted him to the job.

“What is exciting to me about Pitt is that there is unbelievable tradition here,” he said. “You can talk about Tony Dorsett, you can talk about Mark May, you can talk about Dan Marino, you can talk about the current: [Darrelle] Revis and [Larry] Fitzgerald. There are too many names to do it justice.”

Chryst also said that he plans on being the Panthers head coach for more than one season, unlike predecessor Todd Graham.

“This is a destination job to me,” Chryst said. “If you can’t live in the moment, then you’re cheating yourself, and you’re cheating your players. This is a pretty good gig.”

Born in Madison, Wis., Chryst attended college in his hometown and started at quarterback for the Badgers.

Chryst then began his coaching career at West Virginia as a graduate assistant in 1989.

After 23 years as an assistant football coach with stops at five different colleges, two Canadian Football League teams and one World League of American Football team, Chryst will become a head coach for the first time in his career at Pitt.

“I’ve had a lot of great mentors,” Chryst said. “I’ve been fortunate, and I thank [Wisconsin head coach] Bret [Bielema] for allowing me to pursue this dream.”

Since taking over the Wisconsin offense in 2005, Chryst has helped the Badgers earn back-to-back Rose Bowl bids and has transformed their offense into one of the best in the country.

This season, Chryst’s offense averaged 466.9 yards and 44.6 points per game. Quarterback Russell Wilson and running back Montee Ball both finished in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting.

Wilson passed for 2,879 yards and 31 touchdowns, while Ball finished with more than 2,000 all-purpose yards and led the nation with a remarkable 38 touchdowns.

Chryst didn’t describe his offense with words like “high-octane” or “explosive” and said that he prefers his team’s play to do the talking.

“You don’t announce anything today,” Chryst said. “It’s really shallow if you announce what you’re going to do — your actions have to prove it. That’s what I’m excited for — to be able to start putting the action and plan together.”

He also explained that he has no problem with adjusting his offensive system to suit the talents of his players.

“The number one thing is that we want to win,” Chryst said. “Our offense finds a way to play to players’ strengths and not fit into a certain mold. To me, a coach’s job is to put players in positions to have success.”

As part of the agreement that made Chryst the new Pitt football coach, Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson allowed Chryst to coach the No. 9 Badgers in the Rose Bowl against No. 6 Oregon on Jan. 2.

“He wants to see his kids through to the end,” Pederson said. “A significant part of all of our discussions was how you treat young people and the program. There was never a question in our mind that it was the right thing to do. We’re going to enjoy watching him coach, and we’re all going to be big Badger fans that night.”

The Badgers lost the Rose Bowl 45-38, but put on an offensive show in finishing with 508 total yards. Ball rushed for 164 yards and a touchdown, and Wilson threw for 296 yards and two touchdowns.

While much of the staff has yet to be filled, at least two coaches are set to join Chryst at Pitt. Wisconsin offensive line coach and run-game coordinator Bob Bostad will also leave the Badgers’ coaching staff to become the Panthers’ offensive coordinator.

Bostad spent six seasons at Wisconsin, helping to produce four first-team All-American offensive linemen over the past two years.

Before going to Wisconsin, Bostad served as the offensive coordinator at New Mexico State from 1999 to2005. During that time, 14 offensive linemen earned all-conference honors.

Former Mt. Lebanon football coach Chris Haering will also join Chryst’s staff after 17 seasons as the head coach at Mt. Lebanon. He won the WPIAL championship in 2000.

Haering served as a graduate assistant with Chryst at West Virginia from 1989 to 1990. The remainder of the assistant coaching staff should be finalized within the next few days.

While it was Pederson who introduced Chryst to the media, it was a current Pitt player who introduced him to his new team.

Senior running back Zach Brown — who spent four years at Wisconsin playing for Chryst before transferring to Pitt this season — introduced Chryst to the current Panther team.

“It meant a lot to have Zach introduce me,” Chryst said. “I am here in front of everyone because of the many great players that I’ve had the opportunity to be around. I have not thrown one pass, I have not run one touchdown in — it’s the players. There are a ton of players who I am indebted to and grateful for, and I am really excited to have the opportunity to work with a new group of players.”