INDIANAPOLIS — More than four years ago, after beating Virginia Tech for his first win as a head coach, Paul Chryst’s Pitt players gave him the game ball in the locker room.
“It certainly means a lot,” Chryst said at the time. “And when it comes from the players, that’s what you’re in it for.”
As he sat at a podium in Lucas Oil Stadium Friday afternoon, 24 hours away from leading his alma mater into the Big Ten championship game, Chryst’s mindset was still centered on the players in the locker room, rather than any sense of personal accomplishment.
“What I'm most excited for is this group of players,” Chryst said. “This is their window of opportunity. For them to do what they did to have the opportunity, to earn the opportunity to play [tonight], really proud of them. I'm looking forward to them trying to maximize that opportunity.”
Chryst has the Badgers on the verge of a conference title just two years after leaving Pitt — where he went 19-19 over three seasons — to take the job in the town where he grew up.
Still, even as Chryst admitted Friday afternoon that Madison, Wisc., and the University of Wisconsin hold undeniable places in his heart, he has fond memories of his times in Pittsburgh and, specifically, the players he coached there.
“I am really thankful and grateful for the opportunity I had to spend in Pittsburgh, with that group of players,” he said. “I loved it.”
Most of the players Chryst recruited to Pitt are still on the roster. While any coaching transition is difficult, Chryst’s departure certainly didn’t spark the same animosity as that of Todd Graham in 2011. Rather, many in the Panthers’ locker room understood the pull Chryst felt towards Wisconsin, his alma mater.
“You hope to grow from all of your experiences. I think for me, my first head job, I felt really fortunate to be able to do it at Pitt. Those players mean a ton to me.”
Chryst said his player-focused approach to coaching didn’t necessarily come from one singular former boss or influence, though he did cite his dad, George, a longtime coach at Wisconsin-Platteville as one source of inspiration.
“I've coached a lot of years, I hope to continue to coach a number of years,” Chryst said. “But players have a limited time that they get to play. I think if you as a coach can help maximize that experience for them, then you're doing your job the right way.”
For Chryst’s current Badgers, that chance comes tonight against Penn State with a Big Ten championship on the line. They could even be in line for a spot in the College Football Playoff if other results break their way.
But in Chryst’s typically understated fashion — which also hasn’t changed since his time at Pitt— he didn’t put too much thought into looking ahead.
“I don't spend any time trying to figure out or think about … big picture,” Chryst said. “I know this is a big deal for us and our players.
“When you can say that you've earned the right to be called Big Ten champions, that's a heck of a statement, heck of an accomplishment by a team. It stands on its own.”
If the Badgers win tonight, Chryst would be an undeniable part of the equation. He has gone 20-5 in his two seasons in Madison and has the Badgers rolling as one of the most consistent programs in the Big Ten, if not the country.
Chryst isn’t one to take too much credit, though.
“It's not about me,” he said. “But I'm proud to be part of it. I do feel that I am part of it. But it's more than that. I don't spend time trying to think about what it means to me. It's what it means to our team.
“Also, to me, first thing is what does it mean to those players.”
Sam Werner: swerner@post-gazette.com and Twitter @SWernerPG
First Published: December 3, 2016, 5:36 a.m.