Column: Wisconsin firing Paul Chryst stings, but it was the right decision
I give my thoughts on the Wisconsin football program parting ways with coach Dad:
Madison, Wisc. – Eight and nine-win seasons don't carry the same weight as they used to at the University of Wisconsin. UW's high standards are a testament to the stability and success of the football program under Paul Chryst and his predecessors - but all good things, as they say, must come to an end.
Wisconsin's embarrassing loss against the Illini this past weekend was the collective straw that broke the camels' back.
Wisconsin was no longer a program contending to win the Big Ten West and compete for a conference championship – this was a team in conspicuous decline.
No creativity, no grit, undisciplined, and without passion – that's what Wisconsin football looked like from the outside looking in. All programs undergo seasons of a cyclical downturn – and Wisconsin is no different. But this time, it felt different, borderline unrecognizable.
In a quickly evolving college athletics landscape, the Badgers were, in my opinion, on the brink of a much steeper decline than most are willing to admit. Coach Chryst experienced what can only be described as a fall from grace. In short, the game began to pass him by, leaving the program in flux.