Wisconsin reportedly focused on hiring Pitt's Paul Chryst
Wisconsin didn't take much time to find who it wanted as its next head coach. And it looks like Pitt will now be on the coaching search if Wisconsin gets its man.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Paul Chryst is "poised" to return to Wisconsin, where he went to school and served as the team's offensive coordinator before moving to Pitt before the 2012 season.
“I thought this would be the scenario from Day 1,” a source told the Journal Sentinel. “He will put together a good staff.”
Wisconsin released a statement Friday morning that said the earliest the school could make a hire was Dec. 17. That's on Wednesday.
"We are continuing the process of finding our new head football coach," athletic director Barry Alvarez said in a statement. "We have not offered the position to anyone. I accordance with University of Wisconsin hiring policies, the earliest we could make an offer to a candidate is Wednesday, Dec. 17. Any accepted offer would be contingent upon approval by the UW System Board of Regents."
Alvarez is coaching the Badgers in the Outback Bowl against Auburn.
Unlike the departures of Mike Riley to Nebraska and former Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen to replace Riley at Oregon State on Tuesday, the Chryst-to-Wisconsin scenario was immediately mentioned because of his Wisconsin ties. His Pitt teams are 19-19 (one year in the Big East, two years in the ACC), and many of his current assistants also have Wisconsin ties.
A move to Wisconsin for Chryst would also help the Badgers stay true to their run-game success. At Pitt this season, RB James Conner has rushed for 1,675 yards.
If Chryst leaves Pitt, the school will be undertaking its third coaching search in five years, counting Pitt's search for a coach in 2011 as one search. In 2011, Pitt ultimately hired Todd Graham and he left the school after a season to go to Arizona State. Graham was hired after Mike Haywood was hired and fired a short time later after being arrested on domestic violence charges that were later dismissed.
For more Wisconsin news, visit BadgerBlitz.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
