Wisconsin's Jim Leonhard reacts to being named interim head coach

Shortly after the news broke on social media, the Badgers held a press conference to formally announce the firing and introduce Leonhard as the interim head coach. In his interview, Leonhard was nothing but gracious toward Chryst.

“This man hired me with zero coaching experience,” Leonhard said, “and named me his coordinator a year later.”

Leonhard added: “This place means a lot to me. 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.”

Leonhard was famously offered the job of defensive coordinator of the Packers during the 2021 offseason after the Packers fired Mike Pettine. As many may recall, Leonhard spent the majority of his NFL career playing for Pettine. However, Leonhard turned down the Packers’ offer to remain with Wisconsin. At the time, many believed that he was promised to be the next head coach of the Badgers if he remained.

According to Badgers insider Evan Flood, it may not be too long before the Badgers remove the interim tag from Leonhard’s title: