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Former Wisconsin Badgers coach Jim Leonhard lands more NFL defensive coordinator interviews

Former Wisconsin Badgers player and coach Jim Leonhard has been connected in various ways to seemingly every NFL defensive coordinator opening. Add more to the list.
Lorin Cox|
Former Wisconsin Badgers player and coach Jim Leonhard is a popular candidate for NFL defensive coordinator openings.
Former Wisconsin Badgers player and coach Jim Leonhard is a popular candidate for NFL defensive coordinator openings. | Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Former Wisconsin Badgers player and coach Jim Leonhard has been a popular candidate for vacant NFL defensive coordinator jobs this hiring cycle.

He has been connected in various ways to seemingly every opening as one of the top young coaching talents available, but so far no one has locked him down.

The latest team to interview the former Badgers All-American safety is the Baltimore Ravens and new head coach Jesse Minter.

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This comes just a few days after he interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers and former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh for their coordinator opening.

Leonhard is currently the defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Denver Broncos.

He has been a fast riser in the NFL ranks since he left his role as Wisconsin defensive coordinator and interim head coach in 2022.

His Badgers defenses were consistently strong and well-coached, and he past two seasons in the professional ranks have teams ready to see if he can translate his success to an NFL coordinator role.

Leonhard's only play-calling experience came at Wisconsin, but he was known for his ability to lead on the field as a player.

Related: Former Wisconsin Badgers QB interviewing for offensive coordinator job with Mike McCarthy and Pittsburgh Steelers

He looked to be a top candidate for the Green Bay Packers' opening before Matt LaFleur chose Jonathan Gannon instead.

Leonhard has also been strongly linked to the Buffalo Bills' coordinator job.

Given the widespread interest, it seems likely that he will end up as a defensive coordinator somewhere in the coming days, with the potential for multiple teams vying for his services.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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