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Wisconsin posts opening for head football coach; sources say Jim Leonhard will soon take over the program

Jim Leonhard is expected to be named full-time head football coach by the UW athletic department according to sources.
Jim Leonhard is expected to be named full-time head football coach by the UW athletic department according to sources.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Jim Leonhard is set to replace Paul Chryst as Wisconsin’s full-time football coach.

UW officials posted the job opening Saturday night, about seven hours after the Badgers became bowl-eligible with a 15-14 victory over host Nebraska.

According to the posting: “The deadline for assuring full consideration is November 26, 2022, however, this position will remain open and applications may be considered until this position is filled.”

Two sources with knowledge of the coaching search told the Journal Sentinel after the posting that Leonhard, 4-2 as interim head coach, will take over the program.

More:Wisconsin rallies with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to stun Nebraska and become bowl eligible

More:Wisconsin vs. Nebraska: Chez Mellusi, Isaac Guerendo come up big for ground game plus other awards from a comeback road win

“I’ve mentioned it for a long time,” Leonhard said shortly after the victory over Nebraska when asked about the full-time job. “I have a lot of confidence in myself because of the people around me.

“We’re not far off. There’s things we have to change to show improvement. But I’m proud of our guys.

“We have a lot of great players in that locker room. We’ve got a lot of people that care.

“I think we got a little complacent. I’ve tried to shake that up and continue to push. And to see the way the players respond gives me confidence that I can get this done long-term.”

Leonhard, 40, joined Paul Chryst’s staff as secondary coach in 2016. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2017 and served in that role through last season and the first five games of this season until athletic director Chris McIntosh fired Chryst and promoted Leonhard to interim head coach.

UW routed Northwestern, 42-7, six days after the firing of Chryst.

The Badgers then suffered a double-overtime loss at Michigan State, defeated Purdue and Maryland but then suffered an ugly 24-10 loss at Iowa.

UW played poorly on offense for much of the game at Nebraska but rallied for two touchdowns in the final 10 minutes 7 seconds to overcome a 14-3 deficit.

“Anytime you win and have to battle for four quarters and come from behind, you just gain so much confidence,” Leonhard said. “And as coaches you are proud, because a lot of moments that can go south.

“Very proud of the way that we battled because we had not won a game like this this year. So it is a big accomplishment and gets us bowl-eligible, which is another huge for this team.”

The hiring of Leonhard no doubt will be celebrated in the locker room.

Many of the players have made it clear for weeks they believe Leonhard is the right man for the job, the man whom they want to follow into the future.

The victory over Nebraska was the latest example as it came five days after the team learned former teammate Devin Chandler was among three Virginia players shot and killed.

“He definitely didn’t walk into an easy situation,” junior wide receiver Chimere Dike said after the victory over Nebraska. “For him to able to pull a team together multiple times – we went through a lot this week losing one of our brothers.

“I’m confident they will make the right decision for us.”

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Jim Leonhard is expected to be named Badgers head coach this week