![]() ![]() Leonhard was hired by Chryst as Wisconsin’s defensive backs coach in 2016 and was promoted to defensive coordinator one season later. While Leonhard could have stayed, licking his wounds to carry on as Fickell did for five seasons at Ohio State after he was passed over for the head-coaching job in favor of Urban Meyer in 2011, the truth is this situation would not have been sustainable for Leonhard. “He’s had a million options and he’s got a lot of things that he could do,” Fickell said. Fickell noted he met with Leonhard on three occasions to discuss philosophies and that there was no timetable or rush for Leonhard to make a decision. Fickell said Sunday night that he had “definitely opened the door for Jim to be here” but that he had left the exact format of the role vague given the uncertainty of how it might work with a new coaching staff. The news must have represented a devastating blow to Leonhard, who likely thought he did enough to earn the job.įickell was smart enough to recognize Leonhard’s value to Wisconsin as a beloved players’ coach and one of the top defensive minds in college football. McIntosh instead decided on Fickell, going with seven years of head-coaching experience over Leonhard’s seven games and banking on Fickell offering Wisconsin a higher ceiling in its quest to compete for championships. He reiterated on numerous occasions over the past two months how much he wanted to be the one to lead Wisconsin into the future and hoped McIntosh would offer him that opportunity. Leonhard guided Wisconsin to a 4-3 mark, kept the program afloat during a particularly tumultuous time, helped the Badgers gain bowl eligibility for a 21st consecutive season and drew overwhelming support from his players to earn the full-time job. 2 after athletic director Chris McIntosh fired Paul Chryst five games into the season with a 2-3 record. Leonhard took over as Wisconsin’s interim coach Oct. It’s a decision that certainly came with great thought and one that had to hurt Leonhard in a way that will stick with him for years. ![]() 27 but would no longer be part of the program after the season in the wake of Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell earning the Badgers’ head-coaching job. Leonhard announced Tuesday night that he would serve as Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator through the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against Oklahoma State on Dec. Most publicly, he turned down the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator role in February 2021, once again citing his love for Madison and a desire to return for “unfinished business” to help Wisconsin win a Big Ten title and a national championship.īut no decision had to be more agonizing than the one he faced over the past 10 days, when Leonhard needed to balance his strong feelings for the program where he played and coached with what ultimately was right for his long-term career plans. Over the next three years, Leonhard stayed true to that thought process, which was tested on multiple occasions given the interest his talent generated. That’s the draw of staying with the Badgers.” “There’s only one place to do this job,” Leonhard said then. Wisconsin was 68-24 under Bielema's watch, finishing in the top 10 of the AP rankings three times.What could pull him away from Wisconsin? Was it a job in the pros? More money to be the defensive coordinator at another school? What about becoming the head coach of his own program? That’s when Leonhard delivered a nugget that continues to resonate. Bielema shares a past with Leonhard at Wisconsin, where Bielema served as the Badgers' coach from 2006-2012. The Fighting Illini went 8-5 during the 2022 campaign. Wisconsin went on to beat Miami in the Orange Bowl to finish out that year.īielema is 13-12 through two years at the helm at Illinois. The Badgers' defense helped Wisconsin march into that year's Big Ten Championship Game undefeated before losing to Ohio State. Leonhard was named a finalist for the Broyles Award, annually given to college football's top assistant, during the 2017 season. Leonhard was not retained on new head coach Luke Fickell's new staff. Leonhard served as Wisconsin's interim coach for the final seven games of the 2022 regular season after the Badgers fired Paul Chryst. Leonard joins Bielema's staff after spending the past six seasons as the defensive coordinator at Big Ten West foe Wisconsin. ![]() Illinois has hired Jim Leonhard as a senior football analyst, Fighting Illini coach Bret Bielema announced Tuesday. ![]()
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