MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin cornerback Sojourn Shelton jogged out to practice last season and heard the unmistakable rasp of Rick Ross rapping over a pounding bass through the stereo system. This scene would not normally have given Shelton reason to pause. But when he discovered the orchestrator of the playlist was none other than Badgers head coach Paul Chryst, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"We came in one day, and he had it blasting," Shelton said. "He knew the artist, and I was like, 'Wait, what?'"

Few social circles exist in which Chryst wouldn't be considered tragically unhip. His noncontroversial press conferences, placid sideline disposition and general proclivity toward wearing dad crewnecks during games make him easy fodder for Twitter memes ironically juxtaposing Chryst with coolness -- not that he would care while buried in football preparations. Chryst doesn't even own a Twitter account.

But what Chryst does possess is an innate ability to connect with players behind the scenes, despite what can seem like a cultural and generational gap as wide as the Wisconsin River. Those relationships, in part, have helped him quietly lead Wisconsin to the Big Ten championship game against Penn State on Saturday and, improbably, to the cusp of the College Football Playoff.

Players say the 51-year-old country music-lover, who has entered national coach of the year discussions, routinely uses song lyrics and movie quotes to provide inspiration and bring the Badgers closer together. Sometimes, he even surprises his players.

"He liked Young Jeezy before we talked to him," running back Dare Ogunbowale said. "A lot of the Florida guys like Rick Ross, so he's become keen to Rick Ross music. It's really just anything that we like to listen to."

Chryst's ever-expanding musical knowledge base begins before practice, when the entire team meets at 1:30. He picks a different player each day, based on their assigned seating arrangement, to provide a quote to the team. That player is then given the opportunity to pick the Badgers' first song during practice warm-ups. It is not uncommon for a player to select a hip-hop lyric and then choose the corresponding song.

"The reason for it is this is their team, and they get an opportunity to speak whatever is on their mind that day," Chryst said. "And I think it's one way that we can learn more about each other, whether it's what you choose to share in speaking to them or a song that you want to share with them. There's thought that goes into it by them. I think it's a way for everyone to connect. It's also a platform for them to have in front of their team."

"He'll say 'OK, I might add that to my playlist.' I feel like he does a great job of getting to know each player, seeing what they like or getting hip to our new generation." Wisconsin receiver Rob Wheelwright

Chryst recently listed country musician Phil Vassar as his favorite artist. Kenny Chesney ranks high on his iPod catalog as well. But he loves learning from players about new words or rap artists and sharing his wisdom with his three college-aged kids. Players say they have introduced him to the likes of Tupac, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz and Future.

"He'll say, 'OK, I might add that to my playlist,'" Wisconsin receiver Rob Wheelwright said. "I feel like he does a great job of getting to know each player, seeing what they like or getting hip to our new generation."

Added Shelton: "When we do pick hip-hop songs, he asks, 'What is this song?' If he's feeling it, you can tell because he'll take out his pad and write the song down. Coach Chryst has grown to like all types of genres. It's just cool to be around him."

That doesn't mean Chryst always understands what is being said. He thought one rap song by YC featuring Future, entitled "Racks on Racks," sounded like "red zone" when repeated quickly. So he made it the team's unofficial red zone drill song.

"We let him have that," Wisconsin center Michael Deiter said. "That's his thing."

"When things come on, sometimes you can tell he has absolutely no idea what it is that's being played or what words are being said," receiver Jazz Peavy said. "You see him bobbing his head sometimes and things like that. When country songs are on, he's always trying to get in a groove. He tries to get us to listen to the country side, the guys who don't. I don't think he likes some of the music that we pick."

As in any strong relationship, there is give-and-take between Chryst and his players, who appreciate his willingness to accept their musical stylings. Most Fridays, Chryst picks a country song for the Badgers' practice playlist. Chryst isn't afraid to cite movies and songs that existed before his players were born, with a dry sense of humor that can occasionally be difficult to spot.

During his season-opening news conference in August 2015, Chryst was asked how Badgers players were adjusting to a new coaching staff. He wound up subtly referencing a Clark Griswold quote from the 1983 movie National Lampoon's Vacation.

"I think they're getting the idea that it's a great time of the year," he said. "It's the most fun they'll ever have." He stopped and laughed. "We're on a quest, a quest for fun."

"He always used to say we're on a quest for fun, like they are in the movie," said former Badgers quarterback Scott Tolzien, now a member of the Indianapolis Colts, who played under Chryst when he was Wisconsin's offensive coordinator. "What he meant by that, along with getting a laugh out of us, was it's about the process and it's about the journey."

Chryst's oldest daughter, Katy, said her dad likes to find the meaning in song lyrics and movie quotes before offering them to players. He has regularly applied lyrics to the song "He Lives In You" from The Lion King 2.

"He shared that with me, and then he shared that with the football players," Katy said. "For the football players, he'll tell the quarterbacks, 'You're playing for the quarterbacks that have been playing for years here.'

"If he was talking to Alex Hornibrook, he'd be telling Alex, 'You have Russell Wilson, all these quarterbacks living in you that have the legacy of Wisconsin.' He'll take a song that's completely random, like a Disney song, and he'll make that a life lesson."

Chryst might not be the hippest person to walk the earth. But his natural warmth, compassion and curiosity have allowed him to quickly build trust with players and attain a 20-5 record in two seasons with the Badgers. That in itself, players say, is pretty cool.

"He definitely tries to stay with the times," Ogunbowale said. "It's kind of funny just the difference in taste in music. We don't have to try to keep him hip. He wants to be into the pop culture and stuff like that on his own."