Jim Leonhard brings renewed hope to the Wisconsin football program
After a disappointing 2-3 start to the season, interim head coach Jim Leonhard brings renewed hope to the Wisconsin football program.
Madison, Wis. - They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.
Jim Leonhard, ladies and gentlemen, is that something to hope for if you're a Wisconsin Badgers fan.
"This place means a lot to me," Leonhard said during a UW press conference. "I feel like I can take this opportunity and help this place grow. That's why I came back a number of years ago. It's why I haven't left."
In five seasons as the Badgers' defensive coordinator, Leonard finished top five in total defense and top 10 in scoring defense four times. In short, he's a stud.
Wisconsin AD Chris McIntosh wants Leonhard to succeed and become the long-term head coach of the program, make no mistake about it. Now, on an interim basis, he'll have the chance to reinvigorate the Badgers after a disappointing 2-3 start to the season.

The writing has been on the wall for some time now; Leonhard was always going to be the heir apparent to Paul Chryst.
Why make a move to Jim Leonhard in-season?
Coach Leonhard is a legend in Wisconsin and one of the sport's brightest young minds. If you're Wisconsin, losing him while the program is backsliding simply wasn't going to be an option.
This move, while risky, signals the athletic department's desire to reinvigorate the football program and help it reach new heights.
While we may never know the actual reason, we do know that UW desires to become an upper echelon program, and Chris McIntosh didn't feel like the Badgers would be able to accomplish that with Chryst at the helm.
My guess is McIntosh wanted his guy (presumably Jim Leonhard) to take over the program and wanted to strike while the proverbial iron was hot. Fans and media alike were calling for a change, and following a loss to Illinois, he had a window to make this move with little to no backlash.
Now, coach Leonhard has the opportunity to audition for his dream job, allowing the Wisconsin athletic department to evaluate him before making a permanent decision. If things go poorly ( I don't think it will), UW can cast a wider net and perform a national coaching search.