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Report: Wisconsin plans to hire Jim Leonhard as next head coach

On3 imageby:Andrew Graham•11/19/22•

AndrewEdGraham

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Wisconsin Badgers Defensive Coordinator/DBs coach Jim Leonhard talks with the defense durning a break in action during a college football game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Wisconsin Badgers on September 28, 2019, at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI. (Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Wisconsin is planning to remove the interim title and make Jim Leonhard the full-time head coach in the near future, according to Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Leonhard coached Wisconsin to a come-from-behind win against Nebraska on Saturday to lead the Badgers to bowl eligibility.

Wisconsin has also listed the job posting and put a public deadline of Nov. 26, 2022, for applications. That leaves four business days — Thursday is a federal holiday for Thanksgiving — for applications to be sent in.

The Badgers are 4-2 under Leonhard since he took over for former head coach Paul Chryst five games into the season. He was previously the defensive coordinator for Wisconsin.

No matter what direction the university goes, Leonhard knows one thing for sure. He wants a decision to happen quickly.

“There needs to be decisions sooner than later, hopefully, to help with the uncertainty and not fall behind in recruiting or just your team,” Leonhard said on “Big Ten This Morning” on SiriusXM in late October, via ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. “[Players are] all questioning and wondering what the future is going to hold for them. It’s getting closer to those times.”

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Since Chryst’s firing following Wisconsin’s loss to Illinois, the Badgers are 2-1 with wins over Michigan State and Purdue. Now 4-4, Leonhard hopes his group can make a push toward a bowl game.

Either way, he wants the program to be on the right trajectory.

“There is uncertainty, that is true,” Leonhard said. “Hopefully, with the way we play this second half of the season, and started the last three games, will answer a lot of those questions about where the health of the program is, and hopefully the direction that the powers that be take it.”