Wisconsin fires Paul Chryst / hires Luke Fickell

[RICuse44]

Wisconsin would take Pitt's Pat Narduzzi as next HC if Pat had not lost to Georgia Tech in the same week. Wisconsin is Pat's dream job.

And nard dog too over the chryst at Pitt when he went to Wisconsin.

This is absolutely insane by Wisconsin. I really do not get it. Chryst is a really good football coach with deep Wisconsin ties.

 

[NKR1978]

I hope this bites them like it did Nebraska.

 

[Stern]

The money is so big in the Big 10, and more is coming with a streaming deal on the horizon, buyouts mean nothing to these schools. They don't need to have patience. Any head coach going to a Big 10 school must know they can be gone at any moment. Money isn't an issue in firing anyone at those schools.

 

[anomander]

My money is on Leonhard becoming the permanent HC.

Yea, this move is all about Leonhard. Nothing to do with Chryst really. This is why the admin had no problem making the move.

 

[anomander]

Welcome to Nebraskaville, Wisconsin.

Chasing ghosts at this point - be content with what he gave you.

Barry Alvarez was a career 61% winner at Wisconsin, and they worship him. Chryst was 72%.

They wanted Leonhard to be their HC and didn't want to lose him to the NFL or anywhere else. He was basically waiting Chryst out.

 

[dollarbill44]

Really hope it makes some of these coaches think twice before bolting. Have a comfortable job and a stable life or chase the money and possibly be packing your bags after busting your butt for a school.

Yeah, packing your bags with an extra $16 million. Tough break for the guy.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Got a feeling Chryst is going to get a new job pretty quickly.

 

[SU94]

Wisconsin would take Pitt's Pat Narduzzi as next HC if Pat had not lost to Georgia Tech in the same week. Wisconsin is Pat's dream job.

No. Why replace one gym teacher with another? (Nard is not going to be the next Wisconsin HC)

Beyond that, let’s all acknowledge one thing: all this money, all these deals with Fox or ESPN or Amazon or NBC, theyre not consumated to benefit the student athletes, although they might get a lazy river park behind the football facility. It is not done for the fan base. Rather, these deals and the $75M/year that they reap are intended feed booster egos and allow incompetent athletic administrators to buy their way out of their poor choices. That’s it.

To be fair, it is pretty easy to prove that Chryst was not a mistake hire. This firing is the mistake. And in four years, Wisconsin will buy out the poor hire they’ll make this December.

 

[corpjet]

Barry Alvarez is a scum bag, he ranks up there next to Philip Fulmer as villains who were HCs turned ADs.

Alvarez was a total d—k the year we played them up there in hoops, him and their program.

 

[cali315phan]

This may take the cake for the most delusional mid year firing in college football history.

 

[Willy75]

Very odd timing given their remaining schedule; all of the games seem very winnable. Almost like we have to move now while we have an excuse.

 

[MSOrange]

Barry Alvarez is a scum bag, he ranks up there next to Philip Fulmer as villains who were HCs turned ADs.

Alvarez was a total d—k the year we played them up there in hoops, him and their program.

Barry is actually no longer the AD. He retired. Chris McIntosh is the AD as of June 2021. It doesn't mean you can't feel the same about Barry however.

 

[Ringostar57]

Wanted a Defensive Coordinator whose defense has looked like crap this year, especially against Illinois. Real cheesy!

 

[SU94]

Rather, these deals and the $75M/year that they reap are intended feed booster egos and allow incompetent athletic administrators to buy their way out of their poor choices. That’s it.

Replying to my own post = poor form.

But case/point:
The AD is actually the knob that the Badger fanbase needs protection from.

 

[sufandu]

Agree very much overall with your point, but as to Alvarez record, he took over a program in much worse shape.

Absolutely Alvarez has to be given credit for building the program. But once it was established his records weren't as consistently good as Cnryst's. In 16 seasons he had 4 ten+ win seasons. Chryst did that in 7. At the very least he's maintained the level of the program. Until he has a losing season or two, there's just no logic to firing him.

 

[sufandu]

Barry Alvarez is a scum bag, he ranks up there next to Philip Fulmer as villains who were HCs turned ADs.

Alvarez was a total d—k the year we played them up there in hoops, him and their program.

Love the Fulmer reference.

 

[gmoney44]

Hope it turns out exactly as it has for Nebraska.

 

[kcsu]

Another reason why Dino should be thankful he chose Syracuse over others. The patience has been extraordinary by P5 standards.

Dino won the lottery.

 

[UD1954]

Chyrst tied his future to Mertz whose never lived up to his 5* rating.... kinda like what might of happened to Babers had he stuck with Devito... not a knock on Devito but he's more of a game manager then it's focal point...

 

[Cusefan69]

I would have voted a Syracuse Coach King of New York if he had that many wins over the last years.

Maybe not king but definitely the Duke of New York and a number 1.

 

[Orangezoo]

Hope it turns out exactly as it has for Nebraska.

It wouldn't surprise me if it did then again Leonhard is both an alum and has been on staff since 2016 so there is continuity there... If they send him packing end of the year and do an overhaul then absolutely Nebraska 2.0 could be on the docket

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I mean, I guess so, 95% of the diehards on here wanted dino canned in the offseason. Bunch of numbskulls.

Most wanted him fired for playing starters one extra series on Saturday!

 

[zjscuse]

Yeah, packing your bags with an extra $16 million. Tough break for the guy.

Ed Orgeron: "They said, 'Coach, you've got $17.1 million on your contract. We're gonna give it to you.' "I said, 'What time do you want me to leave and what door do you want me out of, brother?'"

 

[Newhouser]

Ohio State is making all the Big 10 schools panic. They are so freaking good every year (at a level that Barry Alvarez never faced) and delusional fan bases and nutty administrators lead to crazy moves. All that being said - I too think they wanted the DC and thought the timing was good with what seems to be some easier wins on the horizon.

 

[rrlbees]

Wow tough crowd in Wisconsin

2015	Wisconsin	10–3	6–2	T–2nd (West)	W Holiday	21	21
2016	Wisconsin	11–3	7–2	1st (West)	W Cotton†	9	9
2017	Wisconsin	13–1	9–0	1st (West)	W Orange†	6	7
2018	Wisconsin	8–5	5–4	T–2nd (West)	W Pinstripe
2019	Wisconsin	10–4	7–2	T–1st (West)	L Rose†	13	11
2020	Wisconsin	4–3	3–3	3rd (West)	W Duke's Mayo
2021	Wisconsin	9–4	6–3	T–2nd (West)	W Las Vegas
2022	Wisconsin	2–3	0–2

I’d give Jeremy’s left nut for that kind of record.