Many have looked for the Badgers to reunite with a program staple.
The Wisconsin Badgers haven’t had the season they imagined in 2024, going 5-6 thus far with a bowl game on the final this weekend in a rivalry matchup with the Minnesota Gophers.
It has been a tough year for Wisconsin, who has had to endure a hard schedule, while dealing with inconsistencies on both sides of the field, leading to their disappointing record.
Heading into the season finale, the Badgers are looking to bounce back off an ugly 44-25 loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, where their defense struggled from the jump, allowing 180 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, while giving up a season-high in points to a team that had really been struggling over the last four weeks.
With the defensive inconsistencies this season, many have called for defensive coordinator Mike Tressel’s job, as his scheme has yet to materialize in Madison over his tenure with the Badgers.
Tressel, who came from Cincinnati with head coach Luke Fickell, has especially found a hard time trying to get his unit to stop the run this year, with the big blowouts usually coming because of struggles on that part of the defense.
With the defensive woes, is it time for a change at the coordinator spot?
Head coach Luke Fickell showed this season that he’s willing to make any necessary changes to uplift the program. After a down year for the defensive line, Fickell brought in former All-Big Ten center and Vanderbilt offensive line coach A.J. Blazek for the same role at Wisconsin, which has led to a major transition in that department.
Then, he fired offensive coordinator Phil Longo with two games left to go in the season due to the wavering inconsistencies the team faced on that side of the ball.
So, a move is possible, and fans are claiming that former defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard should come back to the Badgers.
Leonhard, 42, is currently working as a defensive backs coach with the Denver Broncos, but obviously has significant roots at Wisconsin, which could be enticing.
The move makes sense for the Badgers. They have a strong enough recruiting program that the other assistants can make up for that part of the game, while the coordinator focuses primarily on the on-field product.
However, does it make sense for Leonhard?
The Broncos assistant could very well get defensive coordinator looks at the NFL this year, potentially even with his own team if current coach Vance Joseph is offered and accepts an NFL head coaching gig.
But, even without that, it’s unclear whether Leonhard will want to pass that bridge against, even if he’s given full autonomy as the defensive coordinator. So, the move seems highly unlikely as a whole.