When Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh made the decision to shake things up in the football program by hiring Luke Fickell as head coach, many fans and players worried that it might mean the end of Jim Leonhard in Madison.
Fickell provided a glimmer of hope that Leonhard might return during his introductory press conference by saying that the two met and that Fickell was “definitely” interested in keeping the former All-American safety at Wisconsin.
With Fickell busy assembling his coaching staff, Jim Leonhard will reportedly return to Wisconsin, per Jeff Potrykus.
A former Broyles Award finalist as the top assistant coach in college football, Leonhard most recently took over as interim head coach at Wisconsin on October 2 after the firing of former head coach Paul Chryst. Under his leadership, the Badgers went on to win four out of seven games to become bowl eligible.
As a result, many players and fans rallied around Leonhard to take over on a full-time basis. However, it appears as though it has all worked out for Wisconsin. Not only do the Badgers have a change in leadership with Luke Fickell overseeing the program, but Wisconsin will seemingly retain their top-flight defensive coordinator.
Leonhard turned down the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator position recently and has six years of defensive coordinator experience under his belt. Under his watch, the Badgers have been one of the best defensive teams in the country, ranking third in scoring defense, first in total yards allowed, and first in pass efficiency defense over the course of his first five years.
With Leonhard expected back, Luke Fickell will now have some decisions to make on his defensive staff, as Mike Tressel and Colin Hitschler were co-defensive coordinators at Cincinnati and are already out recruiting for the Badgers. Exact titles can be sorted out in the future, but Tressel has extensive experience with special teams and linebackers as well. Hitschler has cut his teeth as a coach primarily with safeties, the same area that Leonhard has traditionally covered in addition to calling plays on defense.
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With a formal announcement possibly coming in the next few days, it will now be interesting to see if any other Wisconsin defensive assistants stay aboard as well.
While Leonhard’s impact on the defense has been well documented, he is also beloved by current players, which should help increase player buy-in and the chances that players stick around instead of transferring.
For Chris McIntosh, this has to be seen as an absolute home run, as he now has Fickell and Leonhard running the program. Leonhard could earn an additional title such as associate head coach to increase his pay, which was already over $1 million a year ago.
Related links:
- Updates on Luke Fickell’s coaching staff coming together
- Examining Luke Fickell’s recruiting philosophy
- 10 potential targets for Luke Fickell in the 2023 recruiting class at Wisconsin
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