Wisconsin Badgers offensive coordinator Paul Chryst has officially been announced as the next Pittsburgh Panthers head coach. He will be introduced at a 4 p.m. ET press conference at Pitt's practice facility. Pitt football fans seem pretty happy about all this.
Pitt Announces Paul Chryst As New Football Coach, Replacing Todd Graham
According to Adam Hoge, Chryst has been in Pittsburgh for a while already Thursday, while Bob Lichtenfels reports Pitt players were told of the hire shortly ago. From a statement, here’s Chryst on his new gig:
“My family and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to join the University of Pittsburgh,” Chryst said. “Pitt and Pittsburgh are absolutely the right fit for us, and we’re looking forward to getting immersed in our new hometown. We are committed to building a program on and off the field that will make people proud. The bar is set high in the `City of Champions’ and that is incredibly exciting and inspiring. I can’t wait to meet our players and get to work.”
Chryst has never been a head coach, but has been his team’s offensive coordinator at six different stops. His Badgers attack has helped Wisconsin reach two straight Rose Bowls.
Athletic director Steve Pederson congratulated Chryst, who takes over for Todd Graham, a man in a hurry with a wide world to see:
"We are extremely pleased to welcome Coach Chryst and his family to Pittsburgh," Pederson said. "His remarkable success at Wisconsin is well documented in the form of Big Ten championships and All-America performances. But beyond his achievements on the football field, we believed it was important to find a leader who gets the very best from his players while also developing the kind of culture that fits the University of Pittsburgh. Paul Chryst is that leader and we are anxious for our players and fans to get to know him in the coming days and years."
For more from the Panthers' side, visit Pitt blog Cardiac Hill and SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the 2011 college football coaching carousel, check out our dedicated section.
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