Chryst Joins Badger Football Staff
March 04, 2002 | Football
Paul Chryst, a three-time letterwinner for the Badgers from 1986-88, has been named tight ends coach for the University of Wisconsin football team, head coach Barry Alvarez announced.
Chryst comes to the Badgers after serving the past three seasons as tight ends coach for the NFL's San Diego Chargers.
'It's great to bring a former Badger back to the program,' Alvarez said. 'We are very fortunate to be able to add Paul to our staff. He brings a wealth of knowledge, along with fresh ideas, as a former coordinator and as an assistant in the NFL. I will assign him to be our in-state recruiting coordinator where he will be a natural.'
Chryst was instrumental in the development of San Diego's Freddie Jones into one of the NFL's top tight ends. Jones was San Diego's offensive player of the year in 2000 after leading the team with 71 receptions for 766 yards and five touchdowns.
Chryst went to San Diego after two seasons (1997-98) as offensive coordinator at Oregon State. He spent the 1996 campaign as offensive coordinator for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League and was in the same position at Illinois State in 1995. He was an assistant with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the CFL in 1994 and was offensive coordinator at UW-Platteville in 1993. Chryst was with the World League 's San Antonio Riders from 1991-92, coaching wide receivers and tight ends in '91 and running backs and tight ends in '92. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at West Virginia.
A native of Madison, Chryst earned letters in football, basketball, baseball and track at Platteville High School and was an all-state quarterback on Platteville's 1983 state championship team. Chryst went on to earn three football letters and a bachelor's degree (1988) in political science at UW-Madison. Chryst earned a master's degree in educational administration from West Virginia in 1990.
Chryst's father, George, was a successful football coach at UW-Platteville from 1980-92. Paul's brother, Geep, was the Chargers' offensive coordinator from 1999-2000 before moving on to a similar position with the Arizona Cardinals last season. Paul's brother, Rick, is commissioner of the Mid-American Conference and his sisters, Cathy and Dolly, were collegiate track standouts.
Paul and his wife, Robin, have two daughters, Katryn (Nov. 9, 1993) and Mikayla (Feb. 9, 1995), and a son, Danny (April 28, 1997).
