Paul Joseph Chryst (born November 17, 1965) is a former American football head coach and former player. He was most recently the head football coach for the Wisconsin Badgers. Chryst was the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh from 2012 to 2014. Prior to his head coaching career, Chryst had 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 and tight end 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 two-time football letter winner at the quarterback and tight end 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 to 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 nationally in total offense (463.0 ypg) and 6th 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