Wisconsin football coach Paul Chryst has earned himself a big raise.
According to a late Monday afternoon report from the Wisconsin State Journal, Chryst had a new contract approved during closed session September 1, and he now makes at least $5.25 million annually. His original salary for 2021 was supposed to be $4.35 million. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
The report didn’t state any information about Chryst’s buyout amount, but with a $5.25 million base salary, you can bet that it’s very hefty.
Here’s a quick story by @ToddMilewski on the raise given to #Badgers football coach Paul Chryst, with comments from AD Chris McIntosh. https://t.co/bW9pMPgaVw
— Jim Polzin (@JimPolzinWSJ) October 4, 2021
“I made the decision at the time based on the performance of our coach, and that’s what we did,” athletic director Chris McIntosh explained.
Since the new deal was agreed to, the Badgers are an incredibly disappointing 1-3.
The UW Board of Regents approved the pay bump for Chryst three days before the season started. https://t.co/opkRsIbOK7
— Wisconsin State Journal (@WiStateJournal) October 4, 2021
I like Chryst as a head coach and I have no doubt that he can get the Wisconsin program to where we want to be.
However, paying him $5.25 million annually while getting crushed on the field is a tough pill to swallow. It’s not like the raise is coming after a super successful season.
Graham Mertz has been on DEMON TIME today
18/41
4 INTs
1 Fumble Lost
2 Pick Sixes— Bets Stats (@betsstats) September 25, 2021
It’s coming off a 4-3 2020 campaign and we’re now 1-3. That means Wisconsin is 5-6 in our last 11 games. That’s simply not acceptable.
RAPID REACTION: Wisconsin is terrible. I never want to see Graham Mertz play another game for the Badgers. pic.twitter.com/zqJdJimjxo
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) September 25, 2021
When we start winning a bunch of games, I’ll feel much better about Chyrst earning more than $5 million annually.
Get us to 10+ wins every single season and I’ll be happy.
Until that happens, fans aren’t going to be pleased with his coaching performance or this deal.