Former Bill Jim Leonhard named coach of Wisconsin Badgers

[Utah John]

https://theathletic.com/3651247/2022/10/02/wisconsin-coach-paul-chryst-jim-leonhard/

 

Leonhard walked on at Wisconsin and earned a scholarship, was all-Big 10 twice, was undrafted by signed with the Bills, and had a 10 year career in the NFL, playing for the Bills twice.  He was a fairly slow, undersized player who was one of the toughest tacklers I ever saw.  Congratulations to a good guy.

[thenorthremembers]

52 minutes ago, Bandito said:

Paul Chryst Records at Wisconsin:

 

2015: 10-3

2016: 11-3

2017: 13-1

2018: 8-5

2019: 10-4

2020: 4-3

2021: 9-4

 

This firing does not make much sense to me, especially with a buyout of $16.4 million given to him to not work!

 

Perhaps Wisconsin was afraid Leonhard would leave to go to Nebraska or somewhere else at the end of the year?

Agreed.  He was getting what you'd expect out of the Wisconsin program.   That said, the close loss to Washington State and the blowout loss to Illinois probably sealed his fate.  Go to the younger guy with NFL experience and maybe you get a bump in recruiting.  I just see them a lot like I see Iowa, can win 65-75% of their games, can have a boom year every 5-10 years, but you'd honestly be better off to get a respectable man as your coach and let him hang around for 20 years or so.  Doesnt make sense to waste money paying dead contracts to coaches when you arent a realistic national champion contender anyways.

[Kirby Jackson]

17 hours ago, Bandito said:

Paul Chryst Records at Wisconsin:

 

2015: 10-3

2016: 11-3

2017: 13-1

2018: 8-5

2019: 10-4

2020: 4-3

2021: 9-4

 

This firing does not make much sense to me, especially with a buyout of $16.4 million given to him to not work!

 

Perhaps Wisconsin was afraid Leonhard would leave to go to Nebraska or somewhere else at the end of the year?

It has a little of the Nebraska (or even LSU) feel to me. The “expectation” is to be better than 10-4(ish). That’s probably fair at LSU with their history/alumni/recruiting base. It doesn’t feel fair at Wisconsin or 2022 Nebraska. If Nebraska finished 10-4 they should build a statute of the coach. 
 

Chryst wasn’t capable of taking Wisconsin beyond what he did. I’m not sure that anyone is. I like Leonhard a lot. I get the desire to try to hit a HR like ND has tried to do with Freeman. We will see if either works out. If not, Wisconsin could revert back to a “Maryland-type” of program.

[YoloinOhio]

I don’t see them recruiting any better with Leonhard. 

[GunnerBill]

Chryst won't struggle for another job if he wants one. Agree with those who say he basically had Wisconsin at its ceiling. Maybe the feeling is they had just started to slide back a bit the last couple of years, didn't quite have that same physical edge that his earlier teams there had? 

 

Hope Jim does well.