Whenever my friends and I get together on the weekend, we always seem to manage to toast — apple juice only, of course — UW football coach Bret Bielema.
And why shouldn't we? The rookie coach led our Badgers to the best record in the history of the school and another big bowl victory, and if it had been another year besides the one Ohio State and Michigan decided to dominate, Wisconsin would have been on its way to Pasadena again.
And let's be honest, that red windbreaker is just downright sexy on him.
Plus, following in the footsteps of Barry Alvarez — a man of legendary status on campus — is no easy task. Nevertheless, Bielema pulled it off this year, and he deserves our accolades.
Looking back at the season, the No. 5 Badgers were indisputably dominating, garnering some well-deserved national attention and respect — and the credit goes to more than just Bielema.
The offense — one led by offensive coordinator Paul Chryst — was at times unstoppable. The majority of games last season were blowouts, winning their games by an average of about 20 points.
Earlier this week, Chryst announced he was going to stay with the Badgers despite attempts by the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers to try to lure him away. I'm sure the notion of working under guys like Wade Phillips or Norv Turner was probably pretty enticing — or not, one of the two. Nevertheless, Chryst turned down offers from NFL teams.
No matter why Chryst decided to stick with the Badgers instead of heading for "the big time," it's something my friends should be toasting to as well.
First and foremost, the Badgers are holding on to a guy who's proven himself as a fantastic coordinator. Chryst, who will enter his third season at Wisconsin this fall, is batting 1.000 in helping to lead the Badgers to victories at the Capital One Bowl in Orlando.
This past season, John Stocco proved doubters wrong, Travis Beckum set school tight end records and the P.J. Hill cheer quickly became a Camp Randall tradition.
Bielema is thrilled to have a core group of coaches returning — as he should be — and he expressed his appreciation this week.
"When you have as successful a season as we had in 2006, it's not surprising that other teams have approached several of our coaches," Bielema said in a statement. "I appreciate our coaches' commitment to our program at Wisconsin, and I'm thrilled that our staff will return intact for the 2007 season."
Putting aside the fact that Chryst has shaped a successful offense, an NFL-caliber coach decided to stay at — of all places — Wisconsin. Now there's a fact that should be celebrated.
As a fifth-generation Badger, I learned the lyrics to "On Wisconsin" before I learned to tie my shoes — seriously. And my parents and grandparents kindly remind me today how lucky I am to be at Wisconsin when the football team is so good considering it was so bad for, well, forever.
So when a guy who could ditch Madtown for the likes of Dallas or San Diego decides to stay — that's pretty awesome. Something tells me in my parents' years at Madison, a guy like Chryst with an offer from the NFL might have jumped ship pretty easily.
The move parallels a shift in the Wisconsin program into a whole new class of football teams on the national level.
Just look at some of the other teams that ended up toward the top of the USA Today poll at the end of the season — Florida, Ohio State and USC, to name a few. Those teams have been up there pretty consistently in the past, and Wisconsin hasn't.
Chryst's move to stay in Wisconsin may not be in the same realm of excitement as a No. 1 Associated Press ranking in basketball, but in the long run, it's probably more important.
So if you're out with friends this weekend, raise a sweet cup of O.J. or Minute Maid and deliver a toast to Paul Chryst this time, in honor of the class Wisconsin football has stepped up into.
Tom Schalmo is a sophomore majoring in journalism and communication arts. If you'd like to find him to raise a toast you can write him at [email protected]
