Could former Wisconsin Badgers football coach Jim Leonhard be landing a new NFL job soon?
Former University of Wisconsin defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jim Leonhard has interviewed for an NFL defensive coordinator spot according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, and it's a good gig – for none other than the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles, with one of the top defenses in the league during the 2022 season en route to the Super Bowl, found themselves with a vacancy at defensive coordinator when Jonathan Gannon was hired as Arizona Cardinals head coach.
Leonhard, who turned down multiple offers to coach elsewhere during his UW career, was offered the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator job before the 2021 season, but he once again elected to return to UW. The Packers job went to Joe Barry instead.
Leonhard took over as interim head coach at Wisconsin during the 2022 season, when the school made the surprising move to fire Paul Chryst in early October. Leonhard looked like a surefire candidate to become the full-time head coach before athletic director Chris McIntosh unveiled another stunner, hiring Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell for the post.
Leonhard, who played football at Flambeau High School, played safety from 2005-14 in the NFL after a decorated four-year career with the Badgers, emerging from walk-on to indispensable starter to three-time All-American. His 21 interceptions are still tied with Jamar Fletcher for the most in a Badgers career.
At UW, Leonhard's success as a defensive coordinator – a position he held since the 2017 season – made him a household name around UW athletics. Wisconsin ranked fourth in the nation in overall team defense in 2021 and third in 2017. In the past five seasons combined with Leonhard as defensive coordinator, the Badgers have ranked first in the nation in opponents' yards per game.
The Eagles have also interviewed Rams defensive backs coach Chris Shula and Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
More:Jim Leonhard announces he will not return as UW's defensive coordinator
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Wisconsin coach Jim Leonhard interviews for Eagles' NFL vacancy
