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Wisconsin program legend Jim Leonhard will remain with the Denver Broncos as a defensive assistant for the 2025 season, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
Leonhard reportedly ‘drew interest from at least three teams for defensive coordinator jobs,’ according to Rapoport. He will reportedly remain with Denver after spending the 2024 season as its defensive backs coach. His specific role on its coaching staff has yet to be specified.
Related: Illinois coach spoke with Paul Chryst and Jim Leonhard about transfer additions from Wisconsin
Leonhard appears to be moving cautiously through the coaching ranks after leaving Wisconsin after the 2022 season. He spent the 2023 season as an analyst on Bret Bielema’s staff at Illinois, then took the Broncos’ defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator position in 2024. He has yet to take a step up into a defensive coordinator role.
The Wisconsin program legend excelled as the Badgers’ defensive coordinator from 2017-22, guiding a unit that consistently finished toward the top of the country in most defensive metrics. He was also Wisconsin’s interim head coach for seven games in 2022 after Paul Chryst’s firing. He moved on from the program after it hired Luke Fickell that November.
#Broncos defensive backs coach Jim Leonhard, a former player who drew interest from at least three teams for defensive coordinator jobs, has elected to remain in Denver, sources say.
Leonhard coached, among others, potential defensive player of the year Patrick Surtain II. pic.twitter.com/fPMvisX3z1
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 27, 2025
Leonhard coached a Broncos secondary that helped the defensive unit finish the 2024 season No. 7 in the NFL in total defense (317.1 yards allowed per game). Star cornerback Patrick Surtain, the frontrunner for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, led the group with 45 tackles, four interceptions and 11 pass deflections.
The former Badger safety and assistant coach should have his selection of defensive coordinator jobs next coaching cycle, whether in college or the NFL. He is still regarded as one of the better defensive minds in the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/wisconsin-legend-jim-leonhard-2025-160940649.html
Author : Badgers Wire
Publish date : 2025-01-27 16:09:00
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