Q&A with 49ers offensive coordinator Geep Chryst, brother of Paul Chryst
Paul Chryst's journey to becoming Wisconsin's head football coach has been years in the making for the hometown boy who grew up with a paper route to Camp Randall Stadium and dreams of being a Badger.
With Chryst about to embark on his first full season in charge, FoxSportsWisconsin.com recently spoke to one of the men who knows him best -- his brother, San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Geep Chryst -- about Paul's ascension into the head coaching role at Wisconsin, family ties, football and more.
Here is the full question-and-answer interview:
Fox Sports Wisconsin: What does this opportunity mean to Paul?
Geep Chryst: "From a family perspective, it always meant a lot to be around Madison. Growing up in Madison, we always felt pretty cool having access to a locker room. You kind of go in and you're trailing around behind our dad. But we saw those players that you would watch play for the Badgers and you saw a lot of them. Whether it was Gregg Bohlig playing quarterback or Rufus Ferguson running the ball, you always remember those as great moments.
We felt we were fortunate. It was a great opportunity back in that day to walk in the locker room and kind of meet them and greet them and get to know the other coaches. That was kind of how we grew up, and what a great way to grow up that is.
You telescope that forward, I think Paul gets a lot of energy out of still walking into the locker room and still being around the players. That gives him a lot of energy. I think the way we see it is kind of on the outside looking in, to run out of the tunnel; I think it all starts in the locker room.
Having the opportunity not just to be around the players and the coaches but to help them because the time goes so fast. As you get older, the time is always ticking for college athletes. It seems like they're around forever, but the real storyline for most of these college kids is as they're going to class, they're graduating. It's such a quick moment in their life where they're trying to accomplish a lot of things."
FSW: Paul talked at his introductory news conference about delivering papers as a boy to Camp Randall Stadium. Do you remember the paper routes growing up?
GC: "We each had a different paper route. His was the one that went in that direction. Our paper route went in the other direction. That was as much a part of growing up. Those formed how you saw the world. You saw the world, delivering the paper.
Hey, I got some money for it. I remember opening a checking account at M&I of Hilldale. One of the first checks I wrote was end zone tickets, which were only a buck to get to Badger games. There's a lot of stories like that because that was how we grew up. You always felt great. Then as you get older, you realize not every kid, not every family has those unique moments. That's probably a strong motivator for all of us to get involved in football is that there were such positive moments. As you learned the game and loved the game, you wanted to give back trying to help those players and coach those players that you're responsible for."
FSW: I'm sure your dad influenced both of you when it came to football. But in what ways do you think your dad influenced Paul to be who he is?
GC: "I get the biggest kicks out of what the former players, for example what a Joe Thomas has to say or even more recently a Russell Wilson has to say. Because that's who you spend the majority of your time with. A Scott Tolzien. Or the number of players that gravitate to be back around him that maybe weren't the starters or the stars but had a positive experience.
To me, I would say that through their words, through what they have to say, through them having a smile coming back, wanting to come back and be around Paul. And how powerful a storyline that is for the current players, just to see former players.
That lets them know though this timeline they're on is fairly fleeting, it's great to see guys come back and there's a group there. I know talking to Paul, he really enjoyed when he opened it up to the former players how many showed up, including a couple from my dad's generation. I think those are the things that are significant to him. And that's really ground zero for my brother."
FSW: Both of you are offensive-minded football coaches. Do you often talk football when you're together?
GC: "We kind of open up the hood. What's also great, too, is win or loss, you've kind of been there, done that. I remember that it was great for our whole family to be down when we participated in the Super Bowl. We didn't win the Super Bowl. That's tough. You have the dream of playing in the Super Bowl and of course the dream always ends with you winning. It came down to the end. We got way behind. We had to try to come back.
I remember just sitting with Paul. What a great lesson. Not just the support but also you can talk shop. You can talk about the play sequencing here or what was going on there. So what a great luxury it is that you can share those details and you feel much better about yourself. You don't change the outcome, but I know that made me feel a lot better."
FSW: Do you think Paul feels a sense of pressure to keep the Wisconsin program at the level it has reached?
GC: "My first impression is how much he really respects Barry (Alvarez) and where Barry built the program. There's no gray area as to who's done a job of bringing the Wisconsin program to maybe where it was when my dad was coaching in the 70s through the Dave McClain era when Paul played.
They were kind of increasing the talent level. They were increasing the wins. They were kind of knocking on the door. It was really Barry, and what a great resource. I get a genuine sense that Paul enjoys having Barry around. He appreciates him as a mentor but then he can joke around with him as a friend, too. What a cool transition that is.
I don't sense any pressure from that. I sense the fact that you just want to keep the program going in exactly the same direction that Barry set its course on all these years ago."
FSW: What did you think of Paul staying with mom when he first arrived back in Madison as coach?
GC: "Why wouldn't you do that? My reaction was as you get older you don't spend much time with your folks. With our dad passing away in '92, you're always touching base with people. I think he's also done a nice job of when he went around to some old friends. But you still have a job to do, so you've got to get up and go to work.
So many things you can do that sometimes those hours get late. So you maybe don't think you have as much free time. My mom has the coffee. Paul's not a coffee drinker. To touch base with my mom in the morning or at night, it's a natural thing to do. And again, it gives him a boost, a shot in the arm."
FSW: Is there a story about Paul that stands out to you?
GC: "We still laugh about the haircut that Paul had back in the day. That's a pretty sweet haircut. Pictures are very powerful because you remember those moments and you remember those days. And not every great story always involves a win. They went through a period there when he was playing when he had to fight through some rough spots.
Sometimes the rough spots make the wins that much better, and you can really celebrate the win. That's always the marker of a program that's had sustained success is that you take the wins for granted. And then it becomes one of those deals where you never fulfill expectations. I know there are other college programs who have had sustained success. That's always a fear. And I think the fact that you go through the good and the bad. The adversity and elation really keeps the wins and the joy in perspective."
FSW: What do you remember about your dad?
GC: "The thing I remember most about my dad was his voice. He had a great booming voice that conveyed exactly how he felt. It got people to move. That without a doubt was something that we laugh about. He's the kind of guy that didn't need a microphone."
FSW: What does it mean for the family to get together at the family cabin each summer?
GC: "It's been a great setup. On my dad's side of the family, one of his sisters, one of our aunts had cerebral palsy. It was a great treat for us as a family to get up there. Since the summer of '72 we've been going up there. It's been a nice run for our family, our kids that get together, the cousins to all get together and touch base. It gets fairly busy during the fall. If you've had a successful football season, you're playing into January. In lieu of Christmas, that's just a real good way before the season gets cranked up to get recharged."
FSW: Have you given Paul any advice about being head coach at Wisconsin?
GC: "You don't ever really get along those lines of kind of where you're at on a map. You're just more dealing with the day to day. I think Paul did a great job of talking to a lot of people about the staff. Are there any names of any people that you've run across? Because those become your coworkers. Those become sharing the vision. So those are the things from a pragmatic standpoint.
I always enjoy a story or two about Bo Ryan. What a unique storyline in how our lives have been intertwined there. So those are always fun to hear. They're more, "Hey, I ran into Bo." It's more lighthearted I guess than studying where you are on a map. Putting your team here and saying you've somehow crossed the finish line. Paul is at the starting line, not the finish line."
FSW: Is it somewhat storybook that Paul is here in Madison as coach?
GC: "I've seen how hard he worked, and I've seen him earn the respect of so many other veteran coaches that I think you do what's right in front of you. At some point in time you realize that his collective career, his body of work, his resume if this was NCAA basketball, all that has gotten to the point where he has merited some of these opportunities. But he doesn't see that along those lines. He just sees what's ahead and what do I have to do then?"
FSW: What makes him such an effective coach?
GC: "He does a really good job of communicating with the individual player. Not just the offense or the team. But you've got to be around a team. And from that I think he does a very good job when he watches tape about putting guys in a position to succeed.
You identify what that particular strength of that player is and where can I put him on the football field? Where can I put him out there with the other 10 guys? He takes advantage of that strength. So that's where the diversity of his offense comes a little bit is, "Hey, who are my players," and then spending practice, whether it's spring practice or fall camp identifying where we can put this together in such a way.
His offense from a football perspective with a Scott Tolzien was very successful. But you could see the differences with the way that it was designed with a Scott Tolzien and the next year you get a Russell Wilson, also very successful but the subtle adjustments and the tailoring of the offense on the field and what's represented on the tape. All this stuff plays out in a very visible way. As coaches, we love watching the tape. You go back and watch the tape and see just how individually tailored it is, I think that's his great strength as a coach."
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