One stays, one goes from UW football program

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MADISON - Badgers’ offensive coordinator Paul Chryst will apparently stay where he is while defensive end J.J. Watt will make himself available for the NFL draft.

Chryst was interviewed this week for the offensive coordinator’s job at Texas this week. But media reports say the duties will be shared by Texas assistant Major Applewhite and Boise State offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said Chryst was on a short list for the vacant head coaching job at the University of Pittsburgh. But several reports said Penn State assistant Tom Bradley is the leading candidate for that post. An earlier report said Wisconsin officials were working to offer Chryst a pay raise. He now gets over $360,000 a year.

Watt said turning pro was one of the most difficult decisions of his life. The fourth-year junior announced yesterday he would give up his senior year at Madison, and enter the NFL Draft in April. He’s projected to be a late first-round pick or an early second-rounder. But we still don’t know if they’ll be playing games next season, as talks continue on a collective bargaining agreement that expires in March.

Watt says it’s been a dream of his to play in the NFL. And the Pewaukee native said he’ll be forever grateful to have played for his home-state Badgers – and he couldn’t have asked for a better place to play his college football. Watt had the nation’s third-highest number of tackles-for-losses this season with 21. He’s expected to be the only Badger leaving on the defensive line.

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