The Green Bay Packers fired Joe Berry earlier in the week, and there are several candidates who could fill this position. One in particular sticks out due to his Wisconsin ties and successful track record: That candidate is Jim Leonhard.
Most Packers fans will know Leonhard, 41, for being the Wisconsin Badgers’ defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2022.
Leonhard began his playing career at the University of Wisconsin as a defensive back and safety from 2001 to 2004. He was a three-time All-American and three-time All-Big Ten player in Madison. He played in the NFL from 2005 to 2014 with six different teams, including the New York Jets, where defensive mastermind Rex Ryan coached him.
The University of Wisconsin hired him as a defensive backs coach under coordinator Justin Wilcox and head coach Paul Chryst. When Wilcox took the head coaching job at Cal after the 2016 season, Wisconsin promoted Leonhard to defensive coordinator.
The Badgers only allowed 262.1 yards per game and surrendered 13.9 points during his first year calling the defense. That ranked first in the Big Ten and second in the nation behind only the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Wisconsin won 13 of their 14 games that year, and they held offensive powerhouse Ohio State to 27 points while forcing three turnovers in the Big Ten Championship game.
In 2019, Leonhard’s defense ranked second in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and fourth in the nation. During the 2022 college football season, the Badgers fired Chryst after a 2-3 start and promoted Leonhard to head coach. Wisconsin finished that season with a 4-3 record and played in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. He served as the defensive coordinator for that game under Luke Fickell.
Leonhard left Wisconsin in 2022 and is a senior football analyst for the University of Illinois. The Packers offered him the defensive coordinator position after they fired Mike Pettine following the 2020 season, but Leonhard turned it down to stay at Wisconsin.
He has a track record of success, learned defensive schemes under some great coaches, and is young and energetic. That’s what the Packers may need to complement a young and energetic roster and Matt LaFleur, 44.
Assuming they offer him the job again, Leonhard would also benefit from taking Green Bay’s DC. It would be a step up for him to go from being an analyst at a college not known for its football program to being the defensive coordinator of one of the most famous organizations in the NFL, if not in all sports.
Many fans are asking for this to happen on social media because Leonhard has gained a lot of supporters for his time in Madison.
Leonhard ran a 2-4-5 while at Wisconsin, which relied on the linebackers to stay back to defend the pass primarily. But he would also use the 2-4-5 to dial up different linebacker blitzes to bring unexpected pressure to different sides because there were technically only two defensive linemen on the field.
Joe Barry also ran a 2-4-5 during the season. He said his main focus was defending the pass, which is why Green Bay’s run defense was subpar. That may sound concerning, but because Leonhard played for and learned from Rex Ryan through the 2009 to 2011 seasons with the New York Jets, he can adjust his scheme to a 3-3-5 to defend the run better, taking a linebacker off and putting a third lineman on the field.
Unlike Barry’s defenses, Leonhard’s unit played close and aggressively. There were so many times that Barry would have the corners play way off, even with five defensive backs on the field. That allowed the receivers room in their routes and to catch short passes. With Leonhard’s young energy and enthusiasm, he can force the secondary to play closer and to play to win instead of playing not to lose.
Now seems like the perfect time for Leonhard to return to his home state and coach the Packers.
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