The Paul Chryst era is now over at Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Athletic Director Chris McIntosh announced the sacking of Chryst just minutes ago, with Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonhard elevated to head coach for the remainder of the season.
This move comes the day after Illinois won in Madison for the first time in 20 years. The 34-10 thrashing of the cardinal and white, which saw Wisconsin limited to just two yards rushing (no that’s not a typo), was the worst beating at the hands of the Illini since 1988.
Coincidentally, the winning coach on the opposite sideline, Bret Bielema, led this very program to a 68-24 record (37-19 in the Big Ten) during the 2000s-2010s. And this was Bielema’s first game back in Madison, as an opponent. Interestingly enough, Bielema now remains the second all-time winningest coach in Wisconsin history, by a single game, due to
Paul Chryst, who had a 67-26 record and was in his 8th season, will be paid a buyout that is reported to be in the neighborhood of $16.4-$16.8 million.
Although McIntosh said in the press conference tonight that the buyout will be “significantly less than what is being reported.”
While Paul Chryst was absolutely painful to watch and listen to in press conferences, he was a much better football coach than he is a public speaker. He led UW to three Big Ten West Division crowns, and a 6-1 mark in bowl games.
Two of those wins came in New Year’s Six games. But tell that to all the boo birds, who were out in full force yesterday at Camp Randall.
“After a heartfelt and authentic conversation with Coach Chryst about what is in the long-term best interest of our football program, I have concluded that now is the time for a change in leadership,” reads the statement attributed to McIntosh.
“Paul is a man of integrity who loves his players. I have great respect and admiration for Paul and the legacy of him and his family at the University of Wisconsin.
“I also have confidence in Jim Leonhard to guide the program for the remainder of the season. There is still a lot of season left to play and I know Jim will do a great job while the program is under his leadership.”
Wisconsin is 2-3 this season (0-2 in the Big Ten), but they’ll next face Northwestern, a team that has lost to a basketball school, FCS school and a middle-to-bottom of the pack MAC side.
It’s interesting to see UW make a move like this, given all that Paul Chryst accomplished. It’s a bold move, spending all that money, and you have to be careful in what you wish for.
Just look at Nebraska.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.