Former NFL safety Jim Leonhard played the final game of his career with the Cleveland Browns back in late December of 2014. Just over two years after he retired following a solid 10-year career as a player, Leonhard is now being tasked with running the Wisconsin defense.
We have our coordinator.
You may recognize him.📰👉 https://t.co/2LsU9mowiVhttps://t.co/TqOvgI8JfO
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) February 2, 2017
Leonhard’s rise to defensive coordinator at a major college program is absolutely shocking. He has one year of coaching experience, acting as the Badgers’ secondary coach this past season.
Leonhard replaces former Wisconsin defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox who moved on from Madison to be the head coach of Cal.
“A year ago, if you were to ask me if this was going to happen, I’d probably would have laughed at you — not knowing exactly how it was going to go and how it would work out,” Leonard said after the announcement of his promotion, via the school’s website.
At just 34 years old, he’s now tasked with running a defense that will be forced to stop some of the top offenses in college football. It’s an amazing responsibility, but one Wisconsin figured he was prepared for.