Paul Chryst

Paul Chryst (born November 17, 1965) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh, a position he assumed in December 2011. Chryst has previously been the offensive coordinator at Wisconsin from 2005 through 2011. He also served in the same capacity at Oregon State University and was an assistant coach for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. Chryst played college football at Wisconsin, where he lettered as a quarterback from 1986 to 1988.

Early life
The son of a high school football coach, Chryst was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. The family moved to Platteville, Wisconsin, when his father, the late George Chryst, became the head football coach at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville in 1979.

Chryst attended Platteville High School, where he was a three-time letterman in football and basketball, and also lettered in baseball and track. As the starting quarterback, he led the 1982 and 1983 Hillmen to consecutive Southern Eight Conference titles and the Wisconsin Division 4 state championship in 1983.

Chryst graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1988 with a degree in political science, and was a three-time football letterwinner at the quarterback position for the Badgers. He added a master’s degree in educational administration from West Virginia in 1990.

Coaching career
Paul Chryst started his career as a graduate assistant at West Virginia (1989–90), and was then an assistant coach for the World League’s San Antonio Riders (1991–92), UW–Platteville (1993), Ottawa Rough Riders (1994), Illinois State (1995), Saskatchewan Roughriders (1996), and Oregon State (1997–98).

He was the tight ends coach for the NFL's San Diego Chargers from 1999–2001, where he was instrumental in the development of Freddie Jones into one of the NFL’s top tight ends, as well as coaching Steve Heiden, who eventually started with the Cleveland Browns.

Chryst was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon State in 2003–04. The Beavers ranked 10th in total offense (463.0 ypg) and No. 6 nationally in passing yardage per game (328.1) in 2003. The 2003 Beavers became the first team in NCAA Division I history with a 4,000-yard passer, 1,500-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers. Among the Oregon State stars he coached were RB Ken Simonton, the school’s career rushing leader, QB Derek Anderson, who left as the Pac-10’s No. 2 career passing leader, and RB Steven Jackson, a 2004 first-round draft choice for the St. Louis Rams.

After a one-year stint as the Badgers’ tight ends coach in 2002, Chryst returned to Wisconsin in 2005 and under his direction, the Wisconsin offense showed immediate and drastic improvement. The 2005 team set school records for both scoring average (34.3 ppg) and for points scored in a season (446). UW scored at least 40 points six times in 2005. After ending the 2005 season with a 10–3 record, the 2006 offense was again potent under Chryst, and helped the team to a strong 12–1 finish. Chryst's strong offenses helped guide Wisconsin to back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances in 2010 and 2011.

University of Pittsburgh
Chryst was hired as the head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh on December 22, 2011.

Personal life
Chryst and his wife, Robin, have three children, daughters Katy and JoJo, and son Danny. He is the brother of former Mid-American Conference commissioner Rick Chryst and current San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst.