BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — When Paul Chryst was the offensive coordinator for the Wisconsin football team from 2005 to 2011, he had multiple opportunities to leave and coach elsewhere. Some were major colleges such as Texas and Purdue. Some were NFL clubs such as Dallas, Minnesota and Pittsburgh.
So Chryst has intimate knowledge of the path that led Dave Aranda out of Madison.
Chryst, fresh off a strong debut season as coach of the Badgers, didn't want to lose his highly-regarded defensive coordinator to another school — especially one that appears on schedule next season, for gosh sakes — but Chryst understands the process better than most because he's lived it.
Less than 48 hours after Wisconsin had capped a 10-3 season with a 23-21 victory over Southern California in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30, news broke that Aranda had agreed to become the defensive coordinator at LSU.
Aranda spent the last three years devising a unit that finished third, fourth and seventh nationally in total defense, respectively. It allowed 78 offensive touchdowns during that stretch, the second-fewest among the 128 Football Bowl Subdivision schools.
According to media reports, Aranda received a three-year guaranteed contract that will pay him $1.3 million per season. He was introduced to the Baton Rouge media on Tuesday.
"Dave had a heck of a three-year run," Chryst said. "I enjoyed working with Dave. I know our players enjoyed playing for him. I know that other coaches enjoyed him. We didn't want to lose him.
"But I've been in that — where he's been at — and you come to where you like and respect a person and if it's the best thing for him and his family, you feel good for him."
Chryst received a pool of money from Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez to reward his assistant coaches and was prepared to upgrade Aranda's annual salary of $520,000.
"It wasn't near $1.3 (million)," Alvarez said of the planned upgrade.
According to Alvarez, Aranda interviewed with LSU and the Green Bay Packers after he got his salary increase last year, so Alvarez and Chryst anticipated there might be more volatility in the Aranda market this time around.
"It wasn't any shock," Chryst said of Aranda's decision to leave. "I think for him — I don't want to say it was an easy decision; I would never want to speak for Dave — there wasn't a lot of going back and forth. "I think he felt it was the right thing for him and his family."
Things happened quickly. According to Chryst, Aranda left him a message the night of Dec. 31, which is when the Badgers returned from their bowl win in San Diego. When they spoke the next day, Aranda said LSU wanted an answer by the end of New Year's Day.
Aranda signed on with Miles even though there was an administrative push to have Miles fired after the 2015 season in which the Tigers of the Southeastern Conference finished 9-3 overall. Interestingly, reports indicate that Aranda's contract is not tied to Miles, meaning that his money is guaranteed even if the coaching staff is fired.
"It wasn't a surprise, but I knew it had to be something unique for Dave to go," Chryst said.
"It's a good deal for Dave," Alvarez said. "It's high-risk, high-reward there. If you can go down there and do well, then you're going to be rewarded well."
Good assistant coaches come and go, especially those like Aranda who aspire to run their own program someday.
"People shouldn't be offended when somebody leaves," Alvarez said. "Someone else wants them and is going to spend more money than we're willing to pay. That's part of the business. It happens to everyone."
In fact, LSU's defensive coordinator has left following each of the past two seasons to take coordinator jobs in the SEC. Just this year, Pitt's offensive coordinator left to take the same job at Georgia (just a year after leaving Arkansas). Arkansas' offensive line coach took the same position at Georgia. The coaching carousel doesn't only apply to head coaches.
How can LSU afford to more than double Aranda's salary? One answer is that most schools in the SEC have around 18 sports programs to underwrite (the Tigers have 19 sports) while the average in the Big Ten Conference is 23 (the Badgers have 23).
"The reason they can go up higher (in the SEC) is they're not supporting as many sports," Alvarez said. "It's a difference in philosophy. The Big Ten is known for being more broad-based in its sports offerings. We are committed to supporting a broad-based athletic program. People may dismiss that, but it's a real thing. They can sink more of their money into football.
"But we still feel we're very competitive. We're very cognizant of what everyone else is paying. We make adjustments annually.
"You can get your entire staff out of whack if every time someone has a job (offer) you have to give them a raise. You have to make decisions as you go along, what you can handle and what you can't, and go from there."
Alvarez used associate head coach and offensive line assistant Joe Rudolph as an example of someone who deserves a raise. Rudolph molded a unit through a series of injuries and eight different starting lineups. The final product that faced USC had one senior and four redshirt freshmen.
"I don't know how you could have done a better job than Joe Rudolph did with the offensive line," Alvarez said. "Every week it's a new lineup and with guys who've never played before. To have four freshmen playing in a bowl game and I'm thinking, 'Man, we have veterans now because they all played together for one game and a month's practice.'"
In a strange twist of fate, the Badgers will open next season hosting LSU at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Chryst was asked how he'll counter the intimate knowledge Aranda has of Wisconsin's offensive scheme and personnel.
"We know his scheme," Chryst said. "At the end of the day coaches put players into position to have success and go execute.
"It's different in that we worked together, but at the same time he'll be different with the personnel that he has."
Where does Chryst go from here?
"To get the best defensive coordinator we can — as best a coach and as best a fit for this group," he said. "I feel confident that we'll not get just a good coach and a really good person, but a heck of a fit for this place.
"I think you've got to have a coach that works with and plays to the strengths of the personnel. So much of that's in place and you recruit to it."
Chryst said he'd prefer to stick with the 3-4 alignment "because I think it fits our guys right now. It adjusts to a lot of things.
"There will be some things that are different. That's not always a negative."
Aranda came to Wisconsin to work with Gary Andersen, who coached the Badgers from 2012 to '14 before leaving for Oregon State. Aranda became known for his earnest, direct and professorial approach to dealing with players and the media.
After the bowl win over USC junior outside linebacker Vince Biegel said he'd take a bullet for Aranda if it meant him staying.
Chryst said he's grateful for what Aranda did during their season together.
"He didn't cheat a day here," Chryst said. "I like him. I wish him well."
But Chryst said he's not looking to replicate Aranda.
"I think you'd make a mistake if you tried to look for Dave again," Chryst said. "I think that with all people. They're unique and that's what made this go and why Dave had success. You'd hamstring someone if you tried to say, 'You're going to run this (same) defense.'"
"I've always believed this program is bigger than one person — be it a player that leaves or a coach that leaves. It's one of the strengths of Wisconsin. There's a lot of people that want to be at a place like this."
"We're going to be fine," Chryst said.
