In Nebraska football’s hunt for Scott Frost’s replacement, there have been wild turns and coaches appearing out of nowhere. Many thought Urban Meyer was done after his shameful Jacksonville tenure. Ed Orgeron seemed to back away from coaching. However, the Huskers’ head coaching position is more coveted than originally perceived, and Wisconsin Badgers’ coordinator Jim Leonhard stands in the middle of it.
To be blunt, Nebraska football has been nowhere near where it should be. The squad struggled under Mike Riley, despite some wonderful moments like the 2015 Foster Farms Bowl win over UCLA. Riley also led the Huskers to nine wins in 2016 before ultimately losing the Music City Bowl to Tennessee 38-24. The Bowl win highlighted his tenure, but difficulty to recruit and an eight-loss season led to his firing, and eventually Scott Frost came aboard.
The Scott Frost era is history now, and the Nebraska football team may look in an odd place for their next coach. Former Wisconsin Badger safety Jim Leonhard tied the school record with 21 interceptions and he added 281 tackles. After 10 years of NFL service, Leonhard went back to Wisconsin to become the defensive backs coach, and later in February of 2017 he became the defensive coordinator. Since becoming the defensive coordinator, Leonhard’s defense has allowed 18.6 points per game on average across five seasons.
The Badgers have always been known as a team that has a top-tier defense. Before Leonhard, the defense saw players like TJ Watt, TJ Edwards, Zack Baun, and Dare Ogunbowale take over games with the help of former defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox. Since Wilcox left for the UCLA head coaching job in 2017, Leonhard has commanded an intense and effective gameplan. The Badgers reached a new level of dominance when they allowed 239.1 yards per game in 2021, the lowest total in FBS history since 2011. The Badgers have been top five in the nation for total defense four out of five years Leonhard has coached them, with the shortened 2020 campaign being the outlier. Wisconsin has also forced 112 turnovers during his tenure, which is tied fourth most among Power Five Conference teams.
There is certainly no doubt the resume that Leonhard brings is hard to beat. What is essentially his first coaching job comes at a storied program, taking over for one of the more effective defensive coordinators in the NCAA. He still remains an underdog for the Nebraska position given the current situation he is in, but the Huskers should spare no expense for the opportunity to bring Leonhard in as head coach. What he can provide for a team in terms of leadership and football intelligence can greatly improve a team. Especially for Nebraska football, who certainly needs a cultural revival after Frost’s flop.
One of the biggest reasons why Scott Frost became a candidate for every coaching position was because he was going to bring the “magic” to a program. He came into UCF and turned them into winners, both mentally and physically. The problem was that it just wasn’t there, and not only has the team struggled but watching a coach struggle affects everyone. During the current bowl drought, the defense has allowed nearly identical stats to what the offense scores each year. The offense has had its own issues, but if the defense can’t figure it out games won’t be won, and that has been the case for the Huskers.
Bottom line on Leonhard to Nebraska football
Leonhard could provide not only a defensive boost, but his past success can bring in recruits as well. If he was hired, he would obviously create his own staff as well, so the offense would look different in coordination. The main knock on Leonhard, however, is the lack of coaching experience he has. His time so far is short lived, and he has had quite a defensive cast as well in Wisconsin. He doesn’t have any other collegiate experiences besides Wisconsin and that is the culture and type of football he knows. If Nebraska football hired him, he could help turn the Huskers around.