MADISON, Wis. -- The race to find any new shred of information linking Pitt football coach Paul Chryst to the vacant Wisconsin coaching position came to this on Monday: the status of Chryst's daughter, JoJo, on the Pitt women's soccer team.
Really.
A Pittsburgh sports TV producer reported Monday that JoJo, a sophomore, had quit the team, only to say it did not occur over the past few days, when reports of Paul Chryst's move to Wisconsin were rampant. Pitt's women's soccer coach later noted it was merely a rumor and that he had heard no such thing.
And when that's the most significant development to emerge, you know it must be a slow news day on the Badgers' coaching front. (Cue Twitter jokes about Chryst requesting a change of address form with his mailman or Chryst's wife quitting the school Parent-Teacher Association board).
This is the ridiculous quandary we all face as the hours tick toward an official announcement, when rumors and innuendo trump actual facts. Everyone, it appears, is in a holding pattern until Wisconsin can officially offer the job under university policy on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. -- five days after the position first posted.
Once Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez released a statement Friday regarding the deadline, all word on Chryst's impending move ceased. The fact Chryst is opting to keep quiet only makes gleaning news more difficult.
Chryst held two bowl practices over the weekend but declined to speak with reporters in any capacity, knowing the questions that would come his way. Monday was supposed to bring at least mild intrigue when Chryst was to speak during the coaches press conference at the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, where Pitt will meet Houston on Jan. 2.
However, an Armed Forces Bowl representative told me that, even if a question about a coaching change came up, Chryst probably would not address it.
"More than likely if it does," the rep said, "I'm sure the answer will be he's made any statement that he's made at this time, and he's looking forward to playing in the bowl game."
Of course, the news conference was neither live-streamed nor transcribed, which made the event nearly like a tree falling in the forest with no one around. According to the Associated Press, which had a writer present at the military base where the session was held, Chryst chose not to say he was staying at Pitt long-term, noted he was honest with players about his ties to the Badgers and said he was waiting on Wisconsin to make its final decision like everybody else.
"I think he's in a unique situation here," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review sports columnist Rob Rossi told 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh on Monday. "When you look at it, technically Wisconsin can't hire him or anybody until Wednesday. I don't know what Pitt does here. Why would you get rid of the coach right now if he's still your coach? This is a really tough spot."
Most believe Chryst, a Madison native who spent seven years as offensive coordinator at Wisconsin from 2005-11, will accept the Badgers' job when it becomes official. Chryst already reportedly met with Alvarez in person last week.
Is there a proper way to handle the delicate nature of a possible (probable) coaching change? Well, you don't say you're staying if you're not. But you can't say you're leaving if the hire has not become official. And so, Chryst finds himself in this bizarro world.
Certainly, one can understand the difficult position he faces right now. The last thing he would want to do is make any declaration on remaining loyal to Pitt, where he has coached the past three seasons, if it won't ultimately be the case. That is never a good look for the outgoing coach.
On Nov. 30, 2012, for example, Gary Andersen "officially" announced he would remain the head coach at Utah State despite swirling rumors about Cal, Kentucky and Colorado pursuing him. He described the interest as a compliment to the players in the program and said the support from fans and community members were big reasons "this is the right place for myself and my family at this time."
He also released a statement to the media that read: "At the end of the day, Logan is where we need to be. The kids, the administration â we had too much momentum going for me to leave."
That momentum fizzled out all of three weeks later, when Andersen was introduced as Wisconsin's next head football coach. Now, his surprising departure from Wisconsin has opened the door for Chryst.
Whether Chryst stays or goes remains at least a small mystery. One Pitt running back recruit told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review this weekend that Chryst could stay at Pitt if certain changes were made, though he did not elaborate.
Yes, new information was scarce on Monday. Save, apparently, for the rumor mill involving Chryst's daughter on the Pitt soccer team.
Is it Wednesday yet?
