Copyright The Oregonian
The Oregon State football coaching search is underway, and several names have been floated as potential candidates for the job. It is early in the process as the coaching carousel continues to spin across college football. Over the next two weeks, barring a major announcement or change in the search dynamics, The Oregonian/OregonLive will examine some of the potential leading candidates for OSU’s next head coach. We continue with an emerging frontrunner in the search: Paul Chryst Most recent HC job: Wisconsin Age: 59 Wisconsin coaching record: 67-26 (8 seasons) Why it works Chryst had two stints as the offensive coordinator for the Beavers under Mike Riley, and was one of the top candidates for the OSU job last time around before the Beavers went in-house with Trent Bray. He is a sharp offensive mind who took a talented 2003 OSU team led by Derek Anderson and Steven Jackson and molded them into the No. 10 offense in the country. Anderson threw for more than 4,000 yards and Jackson rushed for more than 1,500. That was more than two decades ago, but Chryst’s most recent job at the helm of his alma mater — Wisconsin — was highly successful. The Badgers went 6-1 in bowl games under Chryst with their only loss coming to Oregon, 28-27, in the 2020 Rose Bowl. They won the Holiday, Cotton and Orange bowls in his first three years in Madison. Some in the Wisconsin fanbase feel the administration pulled the plug on Chryst too early amid a 2-3 start to the 2022 season. Look where the program is now, three years later: in the cellar of the Big Ten. An offensive minded coach with an established history of winning in a major conference — albeit before the NIL era really got rolling — could be the steady sort of hire that rights the ship in Corvallis. It might not be the flashiest hire, but there are certainly worse and less experienced options out there. Why it might not work Chryst has been out of coaching for three years. In that time, the entire landscape of college sports has changed completely with NIL and the transfer portal. If he is going to succeed at Oregon State, Chryst will need to have the institutional support necessary to navigate recruiting and the portal in a modern, forward-thinking way. OSU athletic director Scott Barnes has said he believes the general manager position to be a “misnomer,” but a coach like Chryst is likely going to need a savvy GM at the very least to help build out his roster. While a coach of Chryst’s caliber would be remiss not to study the game closely from the outside looking in, making the most of the situation at OSU could pose a challenge regardless of his offensive chops. Can he elevate the Beavers from one of the program’s low points to a perennial contender in the new Pac-12? Is he interested in Oregon State? Yes. Chryst told The Oregonian/OregonLive directly that he is interested in the OSU job, and reporting from multiple outlets since then has suggested he is among the top candidates. While it is still very early in the process, Chryst is looking like the leader in the clubhouse for this job. His hiring would likely be a long-term proposition, too, and not one that he uses as a springboard for a perceived “better” job. Will OSU take the risk of retreading a former coach who’s been out of the game for a few years in the name of potential stability? Know the other (possible) candidates: Brent Vigen Oregon State (2-7) vs. Sam Houston State (0-8) When: Saturday, Nov. 8 Time: 7:00 p.m. PT Where: Reser Stadium TV Channel: The CW Stream: DirecTV (free trial) or Fubo (promotional offers). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.
