Geep Chryst
George Patrick "Geep" Chryst (born June 25, 1962) is an American football coach. Chryst has 25 years of NFL coaching experience, working as an offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and tight ends coach. In San Francisco from 2011-2014 he coached Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers won 54 games in that span and both quarterbacks set career records for passer rating in 2012 when Kaepernick took over for Smith Week 11 in a MNF win over the Bears. Neither QB had enough throws to qualify for the league rating title but Smith (104.3 rating) would have finished 3rd and Kaepernick (98.3 rating) would have been 7th. No NFL team has had two quarterbacks finish in the Top 10 the same season.
Personal information | |
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Born: | Madison, Wisconsin | June 25, 1962
Career information | |
College: | Princeton University (B.A.) University of Wisconsin-Madison (M.A.) |
Career history | |
As coach: | |
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Coaching stats at PFR |
Chryst worked as San Francisco's offensive coordinator in 2015 when Blaine Gabbert replaced Kaepernick Week 9. Kaepernick had played well in games early but struggled in losses to division foes Arizona, Seattle and St. Louis. Gabbert went on that year to lead the NFL in Red Zone Passing (120.5).
He also has NFL experience with Denver (2017-18) Carolina (2006–10), Arizona (2001–03, 1996–98), San Diego (1999-2000) and Chicago (1991-95).
Chryst is credited with developing the original Draft Value Chart in 1993. Chicago Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt had replaced Mike Ditka and wanted a chart that would mimic the philosophy that Jimmy Johnson was implementing in Dallas, where Wannstedt was his defensive coordinator. The chart was used on draft day by a handful of teams who kept it hidden from others to create value for the trading of draft picks. Wannstedt shared the chart back to Johnson, but others made copies and it worked its way throughout the league.
In addition to his coaching and quality control duties Chryst has specialized in football analytics. He was involved in a Silicon Valley startup as a founder of Game Analytics, Inc. and has consulted both college and NFL teams on Game Management.
Early years
Chryst played football and baseball at Princeton University. Chryst earned his bachelor's degree in history from Princeton. He then went on to receive his master's degree in educational administration from Wisconsin.[1]
Coaching career
College
Chryst first became a coach at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 1987. While there, he also helped at the Chicago Bears training camp.[2] In 1988, he was a coach with the Wisconsin Badgers before spending the next two years as the quarterbacks and offensive line coach of the Wyoming Cowboys. His professional coaching debut came as wide receivers/running backs coach for the Orlando Thunder of the World League in 1991.
NFL
Chryst began his NFL coaching career with the Chicago Bears in 1991, working for five seasons as the team's director of research/quality control. In the spring of 1992, Chryst took a 15-day hiatus from the Bears to long snap in three playoff games for the Orlando Thunder.[3] Chryst then worked two different three-year stints with Arizona, coaching tight ends (1996–97) and quarterbacks (1998, 2001–03). In between Chryst's time in Arizona, he worked two seasons with the Chargers (1999-00) as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Chryst helped implement the no-huddle offense in San Diego in 1999.[4]
Chryst joined the Carolina Panthers in 2006 and spent five seasons as the tight ends coach and offensive quality control coach alongside Mike McCoy. Chryst left the Panthers after the 2010 season to become the quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He was eventually promoted to offensive coordinator prior to the 2015 season, under head coach Jim Tomsula. During Chryst's five seasons in San Francisco, the 49ers advanced to three consecutive NFC Championship Games (2011–13) in addition to competing in Super Bowl XLVII. Chryst helped San Francisco's passing offense rank among the most efficient units in the NFL from 2011-14 while working with QBs Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick.[5]
Personal life
Chryst is the brother of Wisconsin Badgers head football coach Paul Chryst and former Mid-American Conference commissioner Rick Chryst. Their father, George, was an assistant at Wisconsin and then became the head coach and athletic director at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville. His oldest son, Keller Chryst, played quarterback at the University of Tennessee. Prior to Tennessee he went 11-2 as a starter at quarterback for Stanford University (2014-17). His .846 winning percentage is the highest all-time for Stanford quarterbacks with a minimum of 10 starts. His younger son, Jackson Chryst was the 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Player of the Year as quarterback for Palo Alto High School, and is currently playing football as a quarterback at Oregon State University. He also has a daughter, Gillian Chryst, who made the Dean's List graduating from the University of Alabama and currently resides in Texas.
References
- "Geep Chryst". San Francisco 49ers. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
- "Q&A with 49ers quarterback coach Geep Chryst". The Press Democrat. Archived from the original on February 27, 2011. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
- Schubert, Erich. "Broncos Media Guide" (PDF). denverbroncos.com.
- Schubert, Erich. "Broncos Media Guide" (PDF). denverbroncos.com.
- Schubert, Erich. "Broncos Media Guide" (PDF). denverbroncos.com.