Wisconsin defensive back Eric Burrell clarifies bold claim about Jim Leonhard

Following reports that the Wisconsin brass have informed interim head coach Jim Leonhard that he will not be the next Badgers leader on Sunday, defensive back Eric Burrell expressed his strong displeasure at the potential departure of the defensive coordinator. A deal between Wisconsin and Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell is, according to reports, imminent.

“Losing Jimmy Leonhard will be the (worst) decision Wisconsin will ever make (shrug emoji),” Burrell tweeted. “I said what I said.”

The safety from Owings Mills, Maryland added: “And let’s clarify last tweet… if Jimmy IS NOT on staff as DC.”

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It’s no surprise that Badgers players are already advocating for Fickell to keep the Wisconsin alum. He’s coached the team to a 6-6 finish after the departure of Paul Chryst.

However, Fickell could easily choose to stick with his second-year defensive coordinator Mike Tressel. The duo coached Cincinnati to a top-five finish in scoring defense in 2021, although the unit took a small step back this season.

Wisconsin finalizing deal with Luke Fickell

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Leonard — along with other candidates for the job — learned Sunday that they are out of the search, and Fickell to Wisconsin has materialized.

“There’s a few steps remaining for this deal to come together, per sources,” wrote Thamel. “It’s expected to be finalized within the next 24 hours. All candidates, including interim coach Jim Leonhard, have been told they’re not getting the job.”

Last season, Fickell led the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff, and he impressed over six seasons at Cincinnati, amassing a record of 57-18. Thamel elaborated on why Fickell has interest in leaving what he built for the Badgers.

“Fickell has strong roots in the Big Ten, as he’s a long-time assistant coach and coordinator at Ohio State and played there collegiately,” added Thamel. “He’d been picky about jobs over the years as Cincinnati rose to the top of the Group of Five, being selective about the Midwestern footprint.”

On3’s Stephen Samra contributed to this report.