Longtime Wisconsin defensive coordinator and program legend Jim Leonhard has flown under the radar since leaving the program after the 2022 season.
Leonhard spent the 2023 season as an analyst on Bret Beilema’s staff at Illinois. An immediate jump back into the head coach or defensive coordinator ranks wasn’t in the cards; his name was seldom mentioned among hot candidates during the latest coaching carousel.
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A recent comment by Bielema gives clarity to Leonhard’s status entering the 2024 season. 247Sports’ Jeremy Werner posted to X that Leonhard is still on the Fighting Illini staff, and he could stay there entering the season if he doesn’t get a job elsewhere. The disclaimer: Leonhard is looking for a job not in college.
#illini Bret Bielema said Jim Leonhard is still on his staff. Leonhard has an opportunity to come back to Illinois if he doesn't get a job he wants elsewhere. Bielema said he wants a job "not in college," so likely the NFL.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) February 7, 2024
Connecting the dots, Leonhard is looking to jump to an NFL coaching staff and work his way up the ranks at that level. The league doesn’t require year-round recruiting or name, image and likeness licensing related headaches so it’s easy to see why it’s an attractive next step for his coaching career.
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Here’s Bielema’s full quote on Leonhard’s future:
“In theory, he is (on our staff), but we signed him with the idea that if he wants to do this then it would be open to come back to him,” Bielema said. “If he doesn’t have the things that he wants … not in college, I think we would be back at it. He literally sent a report a couple weeks ago that was unbelievably detailed and great ideas and thoughts. I reached out to him Tuesday night. I know he’s got some irons in the fire. That’s his business. Jimmy has been awesome. A very gifted coach in a lot of ways.”
The NFL is getting to the later stages of its coaching carousel. Most coaching staffs are in the process of being filled out after the head coaching carousel stopped.
Bielema said Leonhard has “some irons on the fire,” though. So maybe we should expect some news on the matter.