MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin announced the hiring of Jim Leonhard as its defensive coordinator on Thursday, continuing a meteoric rise up the coaching ranks for one of the Badgers’ all-time great players.
Leonhard, a former Badgers safety and three-time All-American, recently completed his first season as a coach at any level, when he guided Wisconsin’s defensive backs to a stellar year. His unit played a vital role in the Badgers collecting 22 interceptions, which ranked second in the FBS and marked the program’s highest output since 2002, when Leonhard recorded a school-record 11 of the team’s 22 interceptions.
Leonhard, 34, replaces Justin Wilcox, who left three weeks ago to take over as head coach at California.
Wisconsin finished fourth nationally in scoring defense (15.6 points per game), seventh in total defense (301.4 yards) and third in run defense (98.8 yards).
Leonhard was a 2015 inductee into the Wisconsin athletics hall of fame. He produced a celebrated football career after arriving on campus as a 5-foot-8 walk-on. Leonhard played in every game during his four-year career and started his final 39 games at safety. He matched the school record with 21 interceptions and became the first sophomore to be named Wisconsin’s team MVP since 1947.
Leonhard also broke the Badgers’ single-season punt return yardage record twice and finished his career as the Big Ten’s all-time leader in punt return yards with 1,347. Despite going undrafted out of college, he played 10 seasons in the NFL.
Leonhard’s ability to easily communicate complex bits of information with players, coupled with his background at Wisconsin, made him a respected member of the coaching staff in his first season. He inherits a defense that returns seven starters, including its entire starting defensive line. Wisconsin finished the season 11-3 and defeated Western Michigan in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
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