Chryst fired at Wisconsin
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Chryst had a .720 winning percentage at Wisconsin. No previous losing season, excepting this season that was unfinished. 7 bowls with 6 bowl wins in 7 full seasons. Even coaches like Woody Hayes, Joe Paterno, and Bobby Bowden had losing seasons once in a while. Meanwhile, we can't depart from an offensive coordinator who can't come up with a strategy to score enough points to keep up with run-of-the-mill FCS and MAC teams.
Wisconsin is willing to pay $16.4 Million for his non-performance......
According to Chryst's contract, Wisconsin will owe him $16.4 million if he is fired without cause, although a different settlement could be negotiated. Wisconsin's athletic board in January approved the rollover of Chryst's five-year contract through the 2026 season.
Wisconsin fires Chryst, names Leonhard interim
Wisconsin has fired coach Paul Chryst, and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will serve as interim coach for the remainder of the season.
www.espn.com
I had no idea he was anywhere close to being fired. I wonder what the full story is.
Take him as our DC?
Take him as our DC?
This is 100% about keeping Jim Leonard. He has turned down opportunities elsewhere including to interview for power 5 HC gigs because he’s loyal to Wisconsin and was the coach in waiting. That patience only lasts so long, especially if the program you’re supposed to inherit is slipping. They didn’t want to risk losing him just to keep Chryst around.
I totally get that but a lot of these teams firing decent to good HCs just because they have the money now are gonna struggle to find better replacements. Just too much money in CFB but not enough Ws to go around.
This might be one of the most ridiculous firings around. If I were making a coaches hot seat list I would not have even put him on "Lukewarm". WTF?
I'm wondering if there isn't some kind of "affair with a staffer" thing going on that is being kept hush hush.
I'm wondering if there isn't some kind of "affair with a staffer" thing going on that is being kept hush hush.
WHOA. Has to be something else going on. Is Alvarez still the AD? Surprising move for Wisconsin.
I don't like the trend of firing any coaches mid-season. Can only imagine how disruptive it is to absolutely everyone associated with the program. By extension, then/now you have players thinking about the portal, assistant coaches thinking about their next moves, and other coaches wanting to make a move into the new vacancy.
It's also absurd that coaches keep negotiating eight-figure fire-without-cause clauses.
At what point do ADs and boosters stop to ask themselves, "is this path we all keep going down...the wrong one?"
Just imagine if we simply paid Power Five coaches $1M for every conference win, variable amounts for OOC games, and bigger bonuses for conference championships, playoffs, bowl wins, etc. But let's not have logic get in the way of things.
Meanwhile, we still debate paying players anything directly.
But on the topic of Chryst...a Wisconsin alum getting canned, and Frost, a Neb alum before him...cautionary tales...
It's also absurd that coaches keep negotiating eight-figure fire-without-cause clauses.
At what point do ADs and boosters stop to ask themselves, "is this path we all keep going down...the wrong one?"
Just imagine if we simply paid Power Five coaches $1M for every conference win, variable amounts for OOC games, and bigger bonuses for conference championships, playoffs, bowl wins, etc. But let's not have logic get in the way of things.
Meanwhile, we still debate paying players anything directly.
But on the topic of Chryst...a Wisconsin alum getting canned, and Frost, a Neb alum before him...cautionary tales...
My sense is Alvarez had a hand in this. It feels as though this is all, and only, about winning. Keep in mind, Alverez's son roasted a live parrot in a microwave, and the apple falls not far from the tree. If so, very slimy. Wisconsin is not only the Badger State, it is a state of Badgers. But, quietly so, hoping no one will notice.
Was going to post yesterday about how Chryst's seat was starting to sizzle, but this is a quicker move than had imagined them making.
Agree that this move was in large part about keeping Leonhard, but Chryst pretty much sealed his fate when he tied it to Mertz.
Agree that this move was in large part about keeping Leonhard, but Chryst pretty much sealed his fate when he tied it to Mertz.
Nebraska fully regrets they fired Bo Pelini. They would kill for a team that consistently won 8-11 games a year now. Sometimes wanting more backfires.
^ Thing is, Chryst was brought in to elevate Wisky's O, in particular, the passing game -which hasn't happened (ironically, it was Chryst's successor at Pitt, a defensive guy, who ended up w/ the Heisman candidate at QB by hiring the right OC).
Wisky's D has been carrying the program - which is why you don't want to lose the architect.
Look at how IU has fared once they lost their OC, who is now the HC at UDub.
Wisky's D has been carrying the program - which is why you don't want to lose the architect.
Look at how IU has fared once they lost their OC, who is now the HC at UDub.
Fun fact- If Chryst had won yesterday, against Biellema he would have tied him in wins at UW.
Some tidbits from inside the team from online sources -
Lots of finger pointing. To add, supposedly there was a "nasty" players only meeting yesterday.
Braelon living alone in West Madison, "apart" from the team in all ways.
Apparently often times a play would be called and Bostad would say they can’t block for it and Chryst would say run it anyways and they’d all argue in game over headset.
Scout defense told not to go hard in practice against first team O.
Oline is a mess.
Just not aligned really anywhere.
What would you do with a coach that thinks so little of recruiting he left the department vacant for 9 months?
The Athletic Directors thinking -
Leonhard to HC
April 3 DC
Fire Bobby Engram and get a real offensive mind
Go 10-3 every year and no one bothers you
Some tidbits from inside the team from online sources -
Lots of finger pointing. To add, supposedly there was a "nasty" players only meeting yesterday.
Braelon living alone in West Madison, "apart" from the team in all ways.
Apparently often times a play would be called and Bostad would say they can’t block for it and Chryst would say run it anyways and they’d all argue in game over headset.
Scout defense told not to go hard in practice against first team O.
Oline is a mess.
Just not aligned really anywhere.
What would you do with a coach that thinks so little of recruiting he left the department vacant for 9 months?
The Athletic Directors thinking -
Leonhard to HC
April 3 DC
Fire Bobby Engram and get a real offensive mind
Go 10-3 every year and no one bothers you
As of the firing
Chryst 67-27 and 3 Division Titles
Pellini 67-27 and 3 Division Titles
I think this situation is different. Pelini probably could have kept Nebraska there. Chryst had UW declining. Their recruiting/development at QB and to some extent WR has been poor (sound familiar), he lost to Minny last year, got blasted by OSU and then blasted by Bielema. They saw that he was probably never going to beat OSU for a B1G title and he was starting to struggle with other rivals too. They probably see that they need a change now or they will be too far behind by the time the whole conference structure changes in a couple years.
With that, EuroCat appears to have more inside scoop on the going on's with the Badgers than anyone has any insight into on our own team.
Interesting, and plausible. If so, then the right move.
Oh, you sense that Alvarez, the AD had a hand in this? Really? I kind of wish our AD cared enough about winning to do his job and act as decisively. In hoops and football. And also not following - what about this makes this slimy? Caring out winning?
Loose lips sink ships!
No wonder Fitz keeps such a tight ship. Imagine the negativity that would be leaking out right now if he didn’t.
Alvarez ran Bielema out of town and then was embarrassed by him upon his return with the Illini.
And now he pays Chryst $16M to find a new job just to try out Leonhard for 7 games. Bizarre.
He was likely an inattentive father but that is a horrific story about his son Chad. It looks like its carried over to his grandparenting as well.
I'm wondering is this mid-season trend is increasing because of NIL money. Previously, losing was seen as the head coach mismanaging his scholarship players. Now, to the super rich alums paying the NIL, he is mismanaging "our" employees.
As a former QB I think he's more of an offensive guy. That said, you could make the argument that anyone would be better than JON.
In all honesty… aside from the first two games, JON has looked like the better coordinator of our two this season.
Both still have to prove themselves over these last 7 games. Otherwise Fitz had better replace both this offseason.
My post from September 10th....
*******************
"Wisconsin lost to Washington State and their rising head coach Jake Dickert, who was born in Wisconsin and graduated from UW-Stevens Point, coached in the Dakotas and became Washington State's head coach midseason last year...
The Dickert tailgate in Madison was expecting 200 family members, most of whom are serious Wisconsin fans...
Paul Chryst now knows who will be eventually replacing him."
***********************
Step one complete. But the timing for Dickert is a little off.
*******************
"Wisconsin lost to Washington State and their rising head coach Jake Dickert, who was born in Wisconsin and graduated from UW-Stevens Point, coached in the Dakotas and became Washington State's head coach midseason last year...
The Dickert tailgate in Madison was expecting 200 family members, most of whom are serious Wisconsin fans...
Paul Chryst now knows who will be eventually replacing him."
***********************
Step one complete. But the timing for Dickert is a little off.
I'm OK with tarmac firings if the outcome is inevitable (e.g. Frost). If they want to fire JON or Jake, I volunteer to drive them to Ohare so they can be fired on the tarmac
It's an interesting thought, but more to the concern of the portal and players just up and leaving on a whim.
...but I would also think this is a concern when you turn a staff over including the assistants. One interesting part about this is Leonhard taking the reigns, which might be by design - keep their stout defensive "personnel" happy and clean house on the other side of the ball, get back to a strong running game, etc.
I suspect he does care but NU doesn't want him to do anything. "Why not do nothing?" Brilliant!
I'm OK with keeping Fitz if he "gets religion" and actually changes his ways. Everyone can see there is a serious decline in the program, he may also know it, but his actions don't indicate it. He took way too long to fire McCall and got lucky that our OL coach left. He flubbed recent hires and kept bad hold-overs. Give him a refresh and see how he does with it. If he's the problem , we'll know soon enough. Other programs have refreshed and are doing well (Duke TCU). Us and Stanford made no changes and are in decline
Was
Was Leonard the guy that they wanted to keep (thinking he had a lot of upside and would eventually be a HC) so they let go of Hank?
Decline? I would say NU is tanking. That's this week, however. After Wisconsin, who knows? The defense at least made improvement before Penn State. And based on 2020, we know Bajakian is at least capable of producing a decent offense.
It seems firing coaches in mid-season has become more common. San Diego State just fired their OC/qb coach after a lackluster start of their offense. This coming off a 12 win season last year by the Aztecs.