Former Wisconsin Football Coach Jim Leonhard Finds New Job

In a shocking turn of events last fall, Wisconsin football interim head coach and longtime defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard was passed over for the Badgers head coaching vacancy in favor of Luke Fickell.

Athletic Director Chris McIntosh swung for the fences after coach Leonhard led the Badgers to a 4-3 record and kept Wisconsin’s bowl eligibility streak alive.

Since then, there’s been much uncertainty about what Leonhard’s next coaching move might be. Despite getting passed over for his dream job, Jimmy took some time to reset and has found a new opportunity, joining the Illinois Fighting Illini as a Senior Football Analyst for the 2023 season, according to a release on social media.

Welcome to the #famILLy, Jim Leonhard!#Illini // #HTTO // #famILLy pic.twitter.com/EpTWrCrhVf

— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) July 25, 2023

The move to Illinois is intriguing for Leonhard, who will work alongside another former Wisconsin football head coach Bret Bielema. The Illini are coming off an 8-5 season led by their dominant defense and are looking to build on that success heading into 2023.

Thoughts on Former Wisconsin Football Head Coach Jim Leonhard

For Jim Leonhard, the move to Illinois represents a chance to stay involved in the game at a high level and play an integral role in preparing the Illini defense that lost its defensive coordinator in favor of the head coaching spot at Purdue. 

Spending the year as an analyst will put him in an excellent position heading into next offseason to pick whichever job is most appealing to him — whether that be NFL or college — because there will be a never-ending line of suitors. 

I’d love to see Jim Leonhard build up a program in his vision, hire his staff, run an offense of his choosing, and continue his coaching ascension. Every Wisconsin football fan will cheer for Leonhard wherever he goes. 

Overall, the addition of coach Leonhard to the Illini coaching staff is a significant development for a fellow Big Ten West program that took it to the Badgers last season. There’s no doubt about it — Illinois is better today than they were yesterday with his addition — Leonhard is one of the brightest defensive minds in the sport. 

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