Paul Chryst out at Wisconsin, Jim Leonhard interim coach
Per Adam Rittenberg Chryst is out as HC after getting pantsed by Illinois. Also had bad loses to OSU and Wazzou.
The West is wide open and this will only make it less predictable. Chryst did seem to be trending down as a coach the past couple of years so credit to UW for pulling the switch quickly. Having Leonard around probably helps.
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:21 PM ^
Love that this is the most informative of 3 posts and it’s first.
October 2nd, 2022 at 9:00 PM ^
Haha… Very true!
This is more than a bit surprising though. Chryst is a Wisconsin guy, has never had a losing season, etc. etc. etc. If this goes poorly for them and their next hire is a dud, we might be talking about Wisconsin in the same breath as Nebraska after firing Solich & Pelini.
I wonder if this is more about Leonhard and keeping him than it is about Chryst. Though Jim Leonhard’s stock has to be taking a hit with what Wisconsin’s done the last couple weeks.
October 2nd, 2022 at 9:23 PM ^
I'm curious if they go after Dave Aranda If Leonhard doesn't work out. He had several successful years as their DC.
October 3rd, 2022 at 1:26 AM ^
That would be wasted effort. Not a chance they could top LSU’s package.
October 3rd, 2022 at 6:48 AM ^
Aranda is the head coach of Baylor, not the DC at LSU.
October 3rd, 2022 at 9:26 AM ^
Wisconsin could certainly top the financial package Baylor offers, if only because of the difference between B1G money and Big 12 money. But I think it will ultimately come down to what happens with the fate of the Big 12. Aranda has a good thing going at Baylor, but he probably won't want to be one of the only bright spots in what is effectively a G5 conference if they can't replace Texas and Oklahoma.
October 2nd, 2022 at 9:41 PM ^
It is surprising. Chryst went 67-26 in 7+ seasons, with three Big 10 West championships, three second place finishes and a third. I doubt the next guy will do as well.
October 3rd, 2022 at 10:28 AM ^
He was also 6-1 in bowl games. The next 4 guys won't do as well.
October 3rd, 2022 at 12:14 PM ^
I've seen some comparisons between Chryst going 67-26 and Harbaugh going 66-24. It's interesting at first, but so much of that is a function of a weak West division. Harbaugh is 17-4 vs the West. Chryst is 10-12 vs the East. Granted those include Big 10 championship games (Harbaugh 1-0, Chryst 0-3) but those were Wisconsin losses to teams Michigan had to play as well. Narratives are so dependent on schedule. It's funny how jealous we were of Wisconsin after the 2019 and 2020 games, but their program was basically 2018 Michigan that didn't have OSU on the schedule.
To your point though -- yes, this may be a Pelini seller's-remorse situation if they don't hire the right guy (IMO Leipold).
October 4th, 2022 at 9:50 AM ^
My brain also went right to Bo Pellini. However, if they replace Chryst with Leonhard, I think the chance of a big swing in either direction is minimal.
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:21 PM ^
"Mr. Alvarez is on line 1..."
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:52 PM ^
I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to push him out too…
October 2nd, 2022 at 8:08 PM ^
At Wisconsin, Barry does the pushing.
October 2nd, 2022 at 8:15 PM ^
Didn't he retire 2 yrs ago?
October 2nd, 2022 at 9:04 PM ^
Alvareze stepped down last summer for Chris McIntosh. This is almost certainly a factor in Chryst's termination, as Chryst had been one of Barry's guys. Chryst had originally been hired as an assistant by Barry Alvarez (albeit in 2005, just before Alvarez stepped down as head coach) and had stuck around for most of the Bielema era. Alvarez would at least have given Chryst more time to turn things around.
McIntosh probably wants to make his mark and presumably this seemed like a good time. I'm not entirely convinced this is a good decision; Wisconsin has had the occasional bad year but rebounded. Still, I have no idea whether Chryst was recruiting well or if there weren't other problems.
October 2nd, 2022 at 9:34 PM ^
He retired last summer
October 2nd, 2022 at 9:34 PM ^
Don’t think he wasn’t consulted before this was done
October 2nd, 2022 at 11:13 PM ^
Seems a tad alarmist to make this move now. Doesn’t really gain anything.
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:21 PM ^
*Leonhard - blame autocorrect.
Mods please feel free to change it. Thanks.
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:22 PM ^
Who are they going to get? They have notoriously under paid their HCs... What is the attraction to Wiscy?
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:24 PM ^
The cheese curds?
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:28 PM ^
Deep fried!
October 3rd, 2022 at 9:17 AM ^
And somehow Brett got fatter after leaving the deep fried and cheese curds.
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:28 PM ^
....beer....brats and jump around!
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:41 PM ^
Until we went in there last year and stole their jump around. Still a highlight from last year!
October 2nd, 2022 at 8:03 PM ^
From inside the Michigan sideline
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8r-C849nSg4
Let us re-live that moment. Dude nails the lyrics.
From the stands
October 2nd, 2022 at 8:53 PM ^
This is pure Gold! Last year Jim Harbaugh, coaches and captains had this team as confident as I have ever seen them and I think it is even more this year.
October 2nd, 2022 at 9:42 PM ^
Looks like a sideline infraction
/ducks
October 2nd, 2022 at 10:04 PM ^
Wisconsin, we took over your 4th quarter shit! The Michigan players were jumping around more than their fans.
October 3rd, 2022 at 12:12 PM ^
I just loved the GUTS last years team had. The coaches had a lot to do with it, so did Aidan Hutchinson.
October 3rd, 2022 at 6:17 AM ^
Don't you mean that WEISS stole it. Heard he told the players not to be intimidated by the jump around, and participate. First time I've seen us not wilt in Madison. Bo's teams always did. Hat tip to Weiss.
October 3rd, 2022 at 3:39 PM ^
Bo was gone by the time Alvarez took the Sconnie job.
Bo's Record vs. Wisconsin 18-1
October 4th, 2022 at 9:21 AM ^
sweet holy hell. "sconnie?" stop that shit.
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:30 PM ^
Matt Campbell, obviously
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:36 PM ^
Campbell to Nebraska makes a bit more sense given his historical recruiting geographies, but Wisconsin would make sense too.
Assumming Deion is FSU bound.
Auburn probably the most attractive job on the market given they have $ to burn, but lack of patience of admin and fan base make it more a $$$$ grab job than anything that will provide long term employment prospects
October 2nd, 2022 at 9:02 PM ^
Well, they know they'll be duking it out with Nebraska for coaching prospects; they had to dump Chryst quickly.
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:30 PM ^
I’d assume it’s Leonhard’s job to lose. He’s turned down a few low level HC jobs and high level DC jobs in the past to remain at his alma mater.
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:36 PM ^
They just have to show a pulse the rest of the season and the job is Leonhard's permanently.
As for Chryst, he will next appear as Head Coach at Northern Iowa or someplace like it.
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:55 PM ^
Yeah, Leonhard felt like a coach-in-waiting anyway so I assume he'll get a good look from the AD. But he's gotta find a solid OC because while this team isn't as talented as years past offensively they should be better than they are.
October 2nd, 2022 at 9:28 PM ^
Frost is available
October 2nd, 2022 at 8:02 PM ^
That's my take as well. I think they give the job to Leonhard unless the rest of this year blows up spectacularly. Leonhard was only going to stick in this current role for so long, and maybe Wisconsin wanted him now.
October 2nd, 2022 at 8:17 PM ^
I'm wondering if it's partly to audition Leonhard, and if it goes poorly they have time to compete with Nebraska for Leipold (who coached in Wisconsin for several years)
October 2nd, 2022 at 8:28 PM ^
Boosters aiming for Lance Leipold the KU guy I think.
him or the DC were also the top hopefuls for NEB as I understand it. Gonna be interesting to see what comes around. Wisc is objectively a better place than NEB but there’s a lot of $$$ at NEB and they are pretty intense re: football. Not that Wisc isn’t but we’ll just have to see how this shakes out.
October 3rd, 2022 at 7:53 AM ^
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:40 PM ^
I thought it was assistant pay that Bert left over.
October 2nd, 2022 at 7:54 PM ^
There are no leftovers when Bert is around.
October 2nd, 2022 at 8:02 PM ^
😆 well done
October 2nd, 2022 at 8:02 PM ^
You misspelled round.
October 2nd, 2022 at 8:36 PM ^
Well played.
October 2nd, 2022 at 8:26 PM ^
The best way that this goes is Bert wins the west and they throw $MELTUCKER at him!