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Former Wisconsin Badgers coach Jim Leonhard has 'mutual interest' with Green Bay Packers for coordinator role

More signs are starting to point to former Wisconsin Badgers player and coach Jim Leonhard as the top candidate for the Green Bay Packers vacant defensive coordinator job.
Lorin Cox|
Former Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has mutual interest with the Green Bay Packers
Former Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has mutual interest with the Green Bay Packers | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Former Wisconsin Badgers player and coach Jim Leonhard is on the fast track to becoming an NFL defensive coordinator, and the stars are aligning for him to return to the state of Wisconsin to do it.

Green Bay Packers fans have been dreaming of Leonhard taking over the coordinator role under head coach Matt LeFleur, and the latest reporting indicates that could become a reality.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed Saturday that the Packers and Leonhard have "mutual interest" in him filling the vacant role in Green Bay.

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There also is mutual interest between the Packers and Wisconsin native and ex-Badgers star Jim Leonhard, who currently is Denver’s defensive pass game coordinator/assistant head coach. While nothing is set, the hope is both sides can get together for a discussion after Sunday’s AFC title game. With Leonhard’s ties to the state, this one makes sense. Leonhard is considered to be one of the top defensive coordinator candidates.
Ian Rapoport, NFL Network

Leonhard's only defensive coordinator experience came during his six years in the role at Wisconsin under head coach Paul Chryst.

He took over as interim head coach for the second half of the 2022 season before he was replaced by Luke Fickell.

Leonhard has spent the past two seasons as the Denver Broncos defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator.

His team is still in the playoffs, so he hasn't been able to interview for vacant coordinator jobs.

That will change after Sunday, regardless of if the Broncos win or lose.

Related: Barry Alvarez endorses Jim Leonhard for Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator job

He can interview if Denver wins, but he won't be able to accept any job offers until after the Super Bowl.

If the Broncos lose, the former Badger could move quickly to secure his next job elsewhere.

Other teams will likely try to interview him for their vacanies as well.

It's almost certain that Leonhard will be offered a defensive coordinator job this offseason. The bigger question is which one he accepts.

Green Bay appears to be an early front-runner.

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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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