Longhorns' Hire Of Paul Chryst Could Be Key to Winning A Big 12 Title

Texas' quarterback room just got better with the addition of former Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst.

Steve Sarkisian knows a thing or two about playing quarterback. So does Paul Chryst. Sarkisian knows how to get quality play out of the most influential player to a team's success. 

Guess what? So does Chryst. 

Texas Longhorns football already seemed to be in good hands under center with three capable starters returning to the Forty Acres for its final season in the Big 12. Now, it's in great ones with the addition of Chryst, who joins the Longhorns after a seven-plus year run as Wisconsin's head coach. 

Moves like this are typical among modern contending programs. Nick Saban, a six-time national champion at Alabama, has pulled this move off regularly in recent memory, including adding Sarkisian as an offensive analyst to help out with the development and progression of quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagoviloa and Mac Jones. 

The third-year Longhorns coach took a page from the master and indoctrinated it in Austin. Last season, he hired former TCU Gary Patterson as a special assistant. In reality, it was to stabilize the defense after a woeful 2021 campaign. In every metric, the Longhorns improved. 

That'll be the same plan offensively with Chryst, who gets to be hands-on with Quinn Ewers entering his second season as Texas' starter. Looking toward the future, Chryst will be influential in finely tuning out the rough patches in both Maalik Murphy and Arch Manning's game, which could become a significant factor in Texas' immediate success once a full-time member of the SEC. 

Adding in Chryst could be compared to finding a curly french fry in a bag of straight salties; serendipitous. He's a proven coach that led Wisconsin to three 10-win seasons in his first four years at the helm. The Badgers went to three Big Ten title games under his watch and ranked inside the top 25 four times.

French fries are best eaten fast before the cold air turns them stale. The analogy works when discussing Chryst's turbulent end at his alma mater. The offense sputtered, recruiting took a dip and without a Big Ten West title attached to his name, athletic director Chris McInstosh wanted to take a step outside the grain, firing the longtime Badger after a 2-3 start. 

Chryst has everything a program looks for in a head coach, which makes it surprising he wasn't hired this past cycle. He's a leader that gets quality play from a badly-dealt hand. He's enhanced less talent to expand the preseason win total. He's also orchestrated some of the more prolific offenses in recent memory, both as a head coach and coordinator. 

Sarkisian's offense has always been about the timely up-tempo motion with the "All Gas, No Breaks" tagline. Chryst's play style is more prone to pounding an opponent into the ground with exceptional blocking until they say "uncle." 

Somewhere in the middle is where Texas hopes to be if it wants to win a Big 12 title. And yes, let's focus on winning the conference before winning a national championship at NRG Stadium in Houston come January. 

Both coaches have played quarterback at a high level. Consider that an advantage for the room in general. Both have worked with strong-willed coaches as play callers and had to work together on building trust to command respect on staff. 

Again, another advantage for the offense in general. 

Chryst, who worked his way up the ladder from position coach to play-caller under legend Barry Alvarez, also has experience transcending the talents of a passer. In 2011, Russell Wilson elected to leave North Carolina State and test his luck in the Big Ten. 

That season, the offense broke nearly every offensive single-season record possible, including total yards (469.9 yards per game) and points (44.1 points per game). And Wilson? While his mile-high dreams of being the savior for the Denver Broncos so far haven't gone to plan, he won't be forgotten in Seattle as one of the greatest Seahawks to don a jersey. 

Murphy, who caught fire during the annual Orange-White game, should benefit from Chryst's knowledge. The arm strength is there. Now comes the little nuances like touch, timing and poise in the pocket. 

Manning, the youngest member of football's royal family, already has a surplus of contacts he can call when breaking down plays and cadences. Peyton and Eli, his two Super Bowl-winning uncles, are likely on speed dial. Sarkisian was the selling point to turn down offers from prominent programs in the southeast and join one that could be in for a rude awakening next fall. 

What's one more name added to the mix in Chryst? The more knowledge soaked in, the better Texas is for grandeur moments in the not-so-distant future. 

Having a second set of eyes to look at the big picture should be encouraged, not frowned upon. Coaching college football is already an unrelenting job that requires more time and energy in preparation than in execution. Add in the constant phone calls to recruits and the unwavering hours of working through the transfer portal and NIL deals, Sarkisian is bound to miss some things along the way. 

Last season, Sarkisian praised Patterson's presence as a valuable voice needed for the program. Eight wins are never the end goal in Austin, but the man with a statue on TCU's campus likely helped nab a victory or two just by helping make minor adjustments. 

Consider Chryst an editor of Texas' offense rather than a ghostwriter. He's here to clean up the little thing, spruce up some areas and get the final details pristine before watching the product go on display. 

Two eyes are often better than one in most daily instances. Saban doesn't get flack from the outside world for phoning a friend. 

Why should Sarkisian and Texas? 

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