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We're now officially past the 24-hour mark since Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen left for Oregon State without a peep from Pitt head coach Paul Chryst. Madison.com tried to reach out to him but were unsuccessful in getting him to return their calls.
Pitt couldn't keep going on without saying something and the athletics department issued a brief statement, per the Post-Gazette's Sam Werner:
Official comment from #Pitt regarding any Paul Chryst/Wisconsin speculation: pic.twitter.com/XKL0p1fO0D
— Sam Werner (@SWernerPG) December 12, 2014
That statement is pretty vague, obviously. Still, a few things to comment on:
As I've maintained over and over, Chryst could simply end this with a statement if he really wanted. He's out of town and the implication, of course, is that he can't comment since he's not around. We all know, however, that all it would take is a simple call and Chryst could end the speculation if he wanted.
Second, short of Chryst not being interested, this is all Pitt can really do. They had to say something, so being upset at this kind of statement would just be silly - it's protocol. It, however, underscores the main point - Chryst certainly has some interest and, if nothing else, wants to hear more.
And as I said yesterday, that's really okay. He's entitled to discuss the opening if he wants and learn more. One thing is clear, though - the job is open and Chryst has an interest in at least exploring it. In other words, if you were hoping for a statement coming from Chryst that he's staying put and not going anywhere, it ain't coming ... at least not right now.
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