Longtime Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst could be nearing his next coaching move

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Wisconsin football great Paul Chryst could be nearing his next coaching move, according to On3's Pete Nakos. The longtime Wisconsin head coach, who has been out of college football since he spent the 2023 season as an analyst at Texas, is reportedly a top candidate for the Oregon State head coach opening.

Nakos writes that Chryst "has become a popular one among industry sources" for the job, while noting that Beavers athletic director Scott Barnes is early in the search process. Oregon State fired coach Trent Bray on Oct. 12 after a 0-7 start to the 2025 season. He went 5-14 in one and a half years at the helm. Bray was previously the program's defensive coordinator under former coach Jonathan Smith, who left for the Michigan State vacancy after the 2023 campaign.

Chryst has ties to the Oregon State program: He was the Beavers' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 1997-98 and 2003-04. After that, he returned to Wisconsin, his alma mater, to be its offensive coordinator from 2005-11. He then spent 2012-14 as head coach at Pittsburgh before leading Wisconsin from 2015-22.

Wisconsin's decision to fire Chryst just five games into the 2022 campaign is still a major talking point, now more than three years later. The veteran coach went 67-26 over seven-plus seasons, including three Big Ten title game appearances and a 6-1 bowl record. Since his departure, Wisconsin is just 14-19 in nearly three full years under Luke Fickell, including a 2-6 start to the 2025 campaign.

If Chryst takes the Oregon State job, Wisconsin fans will likely watch his performance closely.

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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin football Paul Chryst reportedly in mix for head coach job

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