Big Ten Football: Conference Award Roundup

Big Ten Coaching

Wisconsin football head coach Paul Chryst swept both the coaches (“Hayes-Schembechler”) and media (“Dave McClain”) honor for Coach of the Year.  I mean of course he did.  The Badgers finished the regular season a perfect 12-0.

He also seems like a mellow to impossibly boring kind of guy who isn’t going to make many enemies.  Histrionics and theatrics could irritate coaches and media members which would likely dull support.

Of course with Paul Chryst the harshest critique from anyone is that he gives banal quotes.  But he is a Madison guy with deep connections to the city and the program.  It’s hard to find anything too objectionable.

Oh and worth reminding everyone.  His team was undefeated in Big Ten conference play which no other coach can claim.  This seems like an obvious and safe choice for all voters.

Reward the coach who won all his games without highly touted recruiting classes and reverential media attention (looking at you The Ohio State).

So congrats to Chryst and his staff on the honor.  Lets not overlook the contributions from every coordinator and position coach.  Of course the head guy is the most accountable and gets the blame and the glory.

But in all honesty the award should probably be appended to include “staff” as a team coaching staff award.  Now attention shifts to AD Barry Alvarez to pay the assistants enough to keep them from leaving.