The Badgers were dealt a double blow with Offensive Coordinator Paul Chryst took the head coaching job at Pitt and possible transfer quarterback Dayne Crist chose to go to Kansas instead of Wisconsin.
The departure of Chryst is the second big loss for Wisconsin in basically a year, as former Defensive Coordinator Dave Doeren left about this time last season to become the head coach at Northern Illinois.
Chryst has been the OC since 2005. He's turned down many offers in the past, including the chance to be Texas' OC last season.
Some stats that can be attributed to Chryst, from jsonline.com:
From 2005 through last season, UW averaged 31.9 points and 408.6 yards per game and his work with quarterbacks John Stocco, Tyler Donovan and Scott Tolzien was outstanding.
UW finished fifth in scoring nationally last season at 41.5 points per game. That broke the school record of 34.3 points per game, set in 2005.
UW enters the Jan. 2 Rose Bowl against Oregon fourth nationally in scoring at 44.2 points per game.
Quarterback Russell Wilson, playing under Chryst for the first time, is second nationally in passing efficiency (191.6 rating) and fourth in completion rate (72.5%). Both would be UW records.
In an interesting twist, Chryst will be introduced to Pitt players by former Badger Zach Brown, who transferred to Pitt in order to get more playing time - he was far down the depth chart in Wisconsin behind Ball and others.
As for Dayne Crist, he has decided to take his talent to Kansas and play under his former coach and the guy who recruited him, Charlie Weis.
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Crist was in the same situation as current Badger QB Russell Wilson was last year. Crist has finished his course-load and graduated from Notre Dame, but has a year of eligibility left. His playing time at ND was sketchy and he wasn't sure where he stood, so he looked to be released from him scholarship and look to transfer elsewhere. Because he has graduated, he will not have to sit out a year upon transfer.
The transfer rule states that he can play elsewhere as long as he enrolls in a graduate program that's not offered at his undergraduate institution.
