After the Wisconsin Badgers fired head coach Paul Chryst, longtime defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard was elevated to interim head coach.
However, when it came time to hire their next head coach, they looked past Leonhard and hired Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell as the team’s next coach.
Leonhard stayed on as defensive coordinator but announced that he would be leaving Wisconsin at the end of the 2022 football season.
Now, the former NFL player has resurfaced at Wisconsin’s rival.
Illinois announced on Tuesday that it had hired Leonhard as its new senior football analyst.
Welcome to the #famILLy, Jim Leonhard!#Illini // #HTTO // #famILLy pic.twitter.com/EpTWrCrhVf
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) July 25, 2023
It’s a pretty bold hire considering how much Leonhard is associated with Wisconsin.
“A 2015 inductee to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, Leonhard’s long list of accolades includes being a three-time first-team All-American, three-time All-Big Ten first-team selection, two-time Academic All-American, and two-time team captain,” read Illinois’s release.
The move certainly garnered some strong reactions on social media.
During Jim Leonhard’s six years as DC, Wisconsin’s defense ranked top ten nationally in:
• scoring, 4 times
• total, 5 times
• pass, 2 times
• rush, 5 timesOne of the best defensive minds in CFB now resides in Champaign.
An A+ hire by Bret Bielema and Illinois. https://t.co/0loHevt3Xq
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) July 25, 2023
Great, weird hire this deep into the cycle. https://t.co/GjbvesVTI4
— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) July 25, 2023
I mean, this is Alabama esque https://t.co/O8U9QtJcV1
— Brandon Wildman (@brandon_wildman) July 25, 2023
A guy people talked about as a possible DC or even head coach is at Illinois as a Senior Football Analyst.
Insane work by Bielema https://t.co/KWSb2bM3Va
— Armchair Illinois (@ArmchairIllini) July 25, 2023
Leonhard’s defenses at Wisconsin were among the toughest in the nation. In his first five seasons as defensive coordinator, Wisconsin ranked among the nation’s top five in total defense and top 10 in scoring defense four times. In 2021, they allowed just 239.1 yards per game, the lowest total at Wisconsin since 1954.
It’ll be very interesting to see what kind of impact he has on the Illini.
[Illinois]
