Former Badgers HC Paul Chryst Interviewing for Pac 12 Job Opening

Oregon State is on the fast track to fill the void left by Jonathan Smith, who recently took the Michigan State position — and Paul Chryst, the former Wisconsin football head coach, is among the leading contenders for their job opening.

According to a report, Chryst — currently working as an analyst with Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns — will interview for the Beavers head coaching vacancy on Monday.

He reportedly turned down the Northwestern job — and was also mentioned as a target of the Indiana Hoosiers who just fired Tom Allen. The report also indicated that Oregon State defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Trent Bray is another target the Athletic Department is strongly considering at this time.

Why Former Wisconsin Football HC Paul Chryst Makes Sense for Oregon State

Paul Chryst had a memorable run with the Wisconsin football team, serving as a highly successful offensive coordinator and head coach. But before that, he also worked with Oregon State from 2003-04 as an offensive coordinator and QBs coach.

The Beavers are in a tough spot conference-wise — now playing in the “Pac-2” with Washington State after all the realignment.

That said, Oregon State has strung together three consecutive seasons of 7+ wins — including a 10-win campaign in 2022. So the cupboards are far from bare — and the program needs someone to help them build on said momentum.

Why not Paul Chryst? He was the model of consistency for Wisconsin football, has ties to the program, and has a tremendous overall resume featuring an 86-45 head coaching record. He led the Badgers to a 43-18 conference record in the Big Ten alone.

The fanbase wants a younger, splashy hire, but the reality is Paul Chryst would be a terrific hire who could likely keep Oregon State competitive during this transition period. We’ll monitor how quickly things materialize following his interview on Monday.

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