Wisconsin Coach Paul Chryst Fired After 2–3 Start, per Report

He has accumulated a 67–26 record in his time with the Badgers.

Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst has been fired, per ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will serve as interim coach and an official announcement is expected soon. 

On Monday, Matt Fortuna of The Athletic reported the school agreed with Chryst on a reduced buyout of $11 million, which will be paid by the UW Foundation before Feb. 1, 2023. 

The Badgers initially owed Chryst roughly $19.5 million for terminating him without cause, per Fortuna. ESPN’s Pete Thamel previously reported the school would owe Chryst $16.4 million if it found that he was fired without cause.

Chryst had been leading the Badgers since he was named coach back in December 2014. From his first season in ’15 until now, he has accumulated a 67–26 record and won the division three times. Wisconsin won all but one bowl game during Chryst’s reign, but the squad never won the Big Ten.

The news comes just a day after losing to Illinois 34–10 to start the year 2–3. Now, Leonhard will get his first taste as a head coach. 

Leonhard, 39, played in the NFL for nine years before joining the coaching ranks in 2016 as a defensive backs coach for the Badgers. He was named defensive coordinator the next season.

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