It became evident that Luke and his experience and his belief system and his approach and his process, which was proven and does align with what we believe here, was the way that I thought we should go and was the way that I felt best positioned our program for long-term success.” “We have the same expectations, championship-level expectations. But as the process went along and we got more comfortable with what opportunities may exist in terms of leadership for the program and as Luke and I spent more time together and got to understand each other more and got to build the beginning of a relationship, it became clear that we see the world in a very similar way and we see the potential in a program like ours in a very similar way. “Just because of the process and the timing, I had the ability to watch Jimmy on a day-to-day basis and obviously had a great base of knowledge on who he was and what he stood for. Jim’s ability to step into the program after an incredibly difficult transition and inspire this team to play with passion and with heart the way they did throughout the season was incredible, and we owe him for that. There’s been a lot spoken about wins and losses. “Stepped into a circumstance that was incredibly difficult and over-delivered. “Obviously, Jimmy first and foremost did an incredible job with the program,” McIntosh said. But the feeling after the dust settled was that two things can be true: 1) Leonhard didn’t do anything to lose the job and has the talent and charisma to be a fine head coach and 2) Fickell gives Wisconsin a chance to reach a higher ceiling because of his track record of success - which carried major weight with McIntosh - and will be one of the most significant head-coaching pickups of the college football carousel. The hiring of Fickell, which became official Sunday, was bittersweet for a portion of Badgers fans and a large contingent of players, given what Leonhard has come to mean to Wisconsin as a former player and an assistant coach. McIntosh went with Fickell and his seven years of head-coaching experience instead. He finished 4-3 during that stretch, helped the Badgers qualify for a bowl game, generated overwhelming support from his players and hoped it would be enough to show McIntosh why he deserved to continue to lead the program. Leonhard spent the past eight weeks doing everything in his power to resurrect a reeling Wisconsin team in the aftermath of Paul Chryst’s midseason firing. “You can work really, really hard and enjoy it.Yet for as much as the focus was about looking ahead, one couldn’t help but notice who wasn’t there: Jim Leonhard, Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator who served as the interim coach the past seven games before being passed over for the full-time job in favor of Fickell. We try to push that to our guys,” Leonhard says. And some wisdom from a former coach, Rex Ryan, guides his approach: football is a game meant for kids - one that college and professional athletes are lucky to still be playing. “They were who they were, and everybody respected it.”Īs for his own style, Leonhard walks the line between cracking jokes and demanding discipline. “I was very fortunate to be around some coaches with very strong personalities,” Leonhard says. Second, to be a great coach, you’ve got to be yourself. The lessons he carries with him from his time in the pros? First, there are different ways to achieve success, so flexibility is key to building team talent. He then played 10 seasons in the NFL with six teams, beginning with the Buffalo Bills and ending with the Cleveland Browns. Once a small-town Wisconsin kid who hadn’t witnessed Game Day at the UW until his senior year of high school, Leonhard walked on to the Badger football team and proceeded to wow fans with his speed and defensive finesse at safety. “I’m just trying to learn as much as I can, as fast as I can.”īut what he lacks in coaching experience, he makes up for with a solid playing career rooted in his love of the game. “It is pretty special to be at this point in my career, where I’m at right now, really in only year two,” Leonhard says. His direction of the defense will be measured against coaches across the country who are years his senior. When the stadium lights shine on Camp Randall and the bleachers shake with the weight of students jumping around, Jim Leonhard ’06 will be in the middle of the action, reminding his Badger players that football is meant to be fun.Īt 34, Leonhard is the youngest defensive coordinator in the Big Ten and has just one year of coaching under his belt. Jim Leonhard, a Wisconsin native, walked on to the Badger football team.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |