Tag: defensive coordinator job

Eagles interview former Badger DC Leonhard

Former Badger defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jim Leonhard interviewed for the Eagles’ vacant defensive coordinator position.

Former Badger defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jim Leonhard interviewed for the Philadelphia Eagles’ vacant defensive coordinator position.

Leonhard spent his collegiate career as a Wisconsin Badger before moving to the NFL in 2005. He put together a 10-year stint in the league at safety before retiring in 2014.

After his playing career was over, Leonhard returned to Madison in 2016 as a defensive assistant under Paul Chryst before working his way up to defensive coordinator in 2017.

Finally, after Chryst was fired in October, Leonhard took over the reigns of the Badgers’ program, leading the team to a 5-3 record, including a Guaranteed Rate Bowl victory over Oklahoma State.

Now with Luke Fickell as head coach for Wisconsin, Leonhard has opted to move on to another opportunity elsewhere, with many speculating that he will make the leap to the NFL.

The Eagles lost to the Chiefs, 38-35, in Super Bowl LVII and their defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon was hired as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, leaving an open space Leonhard could fill under Nick Sirianni.

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Jim Leonhard’s words from December ring even more true today, the Monday after he decided to stay at Wisconsin

Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard was considered the favorite to land the same role with the Green Bay Packers. He turned the job

If you were living under a rock this weekend, Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard was considered the favorite to land the same role with the Green Bay Packers.

It was even noted that the job “was his if he wanted it.”

Well, Leonhard ended up turning the job down, noting that the decision was him choosing Wisconsin as opposed to not being thrilled with Green Bay.

“I want to stay at UW,” Leonhard said. “I want to be at this level right now. Extremely flattered. Awesome opportunity. But it was not the right time for me to go back to the NFL.”

Related: The best Twitter reaction from Jim Leonhard turning down the Packers’ DC job

I can’t emphasize enough how important this decision is to the Wisconsin football program and their future success, as the Badger DC has become one of the best coordinators in the country, is a stellar recruiter and perfectly embodies what it means to be a Wisconsin Badger.

We can talk about that and whether he will eventually succeed Paul Chryst as head coach all we want, though today I want to turn attention to his comments from a few months ago because they ring even more true today.

It was December 23 and the Badgers had just come off an overtime victory over rival Minnesota.

The coach was asked about Wisconsin’s culture and, as he is every offseason, about whether he will entertain job offers. NBC15’s George Balekji had the video:

“I understand what UW is all about,” Leonhard said. “It’s home for myself…This was the dream job to come back and coach. Also being on a lot of teams, you just realize the culture is different every single place. Not bad, but different. There is a comfort level here understanding what this place is about and how I’m allowed to coach and act and recruit.”

There are no doubt a lot of factors that played a role in his decision to stay at Wisconsin, but his words during the season ring even more true after we saw with our own eyes what coaching the defense here means to him—that obviously being him turning down an amazing opportunity with the Packers.

The NFL will always be there for the young defensive coordinator. But keep this past week in mind in the coming offseasons because unlike other coordinators at other schools, Jim Leonhard is a Wisconsin guy through and through.

The Badger football program could not be in a better place on the defensive side of the football moving forward.

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