A name has floated to the top of the Oregon State coaching rumor mill: Paul Chryst. The former Wisconsin Badger head coach, who was fired because athletic director Chris McIntosh wanted to reach for the stars and wasn't sure Chryst was the coach to lead Wisconsin into new NIL territory. For the Badgers, Chryst may not have been the guy, but he might be for the Beavers.
According to several reports, Chryst is the name to watch in the Oregon State head coaching search following Trent Bray's firing earlier this season. It's the first time Chryst has popped up since he was a special assistant/advisor for Texas in 2023.
Oregon State coaching search intel: Latest on search for Trent Bray's replacement
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) November 5, 2025
Read: https://t.co/blXrLRq37A pic.twitter.com/cG38KSLo1N
Paul Chryst may end up being the next head coach for the Oregon State Beavers
Related: ESPN says that former Badger QB is seeking a 7th year in college football
According to The Oregonian, Chryst texted this to a reporter who contacted him about the opening, "Oregon State is a special place, and I would like to coach again. Out of respect for OSU and the search process, that is all that I believe I should comment on.”
Pete Nakos of On3.com has added his name as a name to keep an eye on for Oregon State. That article is behind a paywall, so that's all that can be said about it.
For Chryst, this would be a return to Oregon State, and that's where his interest comes from. While he played his college football at Wisconsin, he was an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Beavers from 1997 to 1998 and again from 2003 to 2004 before coming home to Wisconsin.
As a head coach, he was solid for the Badgers, amassing a career 67–26 record in his time with Wisconsin. He did a good job of getting Wisconsin into bowl games and being among the top Big Ten programs year in and year out. However, McIntosh was looking for the guy who could take the next step and handle all the business side of things, too, hiring Luke Fickell.
Chryst is a bit old school and would need a General Manager to hold up some of the NIL side of things, but he's a great coach who could do wonders at Oregon State.