November 20th, 2022 at 1:28 PM ^
Is this the result of several recruits publicly stating that they’d stay committed if Leonard keeps the job?
If so, the brass at Wisconsin is about to learn a hard lesson about the whims of teenagers.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:39 PM ^
Their recruiting class is ranked in the 60s…even with a coaching transition, they wouldn’t finish much worse than that. So a bad decision if that’s the rationale
November 20th, 2022 at 2:04 PM ^
Except we can't find anyone to take key positions so we're poaching from that "bad" class to get a few d line prospects ranked in the high hundreds and 1000+. Not exaggerating.
Those guys may not switch. So... Try not to knock someone else's class at this point... When we're unable to fill ours out
November 20th, 2022 at 2:13 PM ^
Right on!!
Just like last year when we were stuck taking that no-name who had almost no P5 offers and was committed to BSU!!?? (Go whine someplace else if you don't mind.)
November 20th, 2022 at 2:19 PM ^
It's not whining. He's saying their recruiting class sucks .... But yet we're trying to grab a bunch of them. So them being low ranked doesn't mean anything for people like you, who hope for 22/22 diamond in the rough
Go read some place else
November 20th, 2022 at 2:35 PM ^
This is MGoBlog … blow sunshine up the arse is acceptable here on most days. I am fine with these opposing opinions. Although pointing out our recruiting sucks this year is so yesterday. We get it. Move on.
November 20th, 2022 at 3:09 PM ^
Didn't say it sucked. We're trying two convert two guys here. Not sure saying Wisconsin's recruiting class sucks makes sense
November 20th, 2022 at 2:50 PM ^
"go read someplace else"?
this is like a poor man's david brandon line.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:43 PM ^
And Braelon Allen saying he wouldn’t leave if Leonhard was the coach.
November 20th, 2022 at 2:00 PM ^
Damn, there goes my fantasy of him transferring to Michigan.
November 20th, 2022 at 3:40 PM ^
Fear not. Allen is also a teenager. His word is as firm as … I don’t know. Something flaccid.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:51 PM ^
It's a result of him being the obvious successor. Might as well get it out there ASAP and help with stability.
November 20th, 2022 at 2:47 PM ^
Has this been publicly stated? Because I doubt this is the reason.
I suspect the reason Chryst was fired in the first place is that the AD didn’t like where things were going, but DID like Leonhard and thought he might lose his logical next coach if he didn’t make this move. Other guys here made the same point. This change was inevitable, IMO.
November 20th, 2022 at 3:08 PM ^
This is what my diehard Wisconsin fan dad told me when Chryst was fired. They were not happy with the way Chryst was running things & recruiting, and were afraid Leonhard would bolt at the end of the season, so they gave him a trial run with the intention of hiring him if he didn't fall on his face. Note, none of this is insider knowledge (as far as I'm aware), just what my dad told me who follows the Badgers as closely as anyone on this board follows UM.
November 20th, 2022 at 3:11 PM ^
It shows the relative strength of the coach versus the AD. Chryst had to be on thin ice already and the way the team lost to a Bret Bielema team was just the final part.
The BigTen West outside of this sudden surprising firing has been better known for long suffering poor performance - see Nebraska finally admitting what the rest of the college football knew and how Iowa seems to tolerate an odd situation with their OC.
November 20th, 2022 at 9:14 PM ^
Leonhard openly complained about how hard it was to recruit his team in addition to the high school prospects. Interesting timing.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:31 PM ^
Seems like that was the plan all along.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:32 PM ^
Well, they did beat Nebraska by a point.
November 20th, 2022 at 2:52 PM ^
Who didn't.
November 21st, 2022 at 2:19 AM ^
That alone must be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of 95 million, judging by recent market trends.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:34 PM ^
We'll maybe need to poach some other team's DT recruits.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:37 PM ^
This was most likely the plan all along but recruits visiting other schools appears to be what accelerated the decision.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:40 PM ^
Congrats to Jim Leanord, but Jim Leonhard must be really bummed.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:42 PM ^
Hopefully he continues the trend of turning Wisconsin into a turd
November 20th, 2022 at 4:17 PM ^
Didn't they rotate off our schedule and onto OSU's? In that case I want them to be Alabama next year.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:43 PM ^
Obviously warranted after the stirring comeback over Nebraska.
(On a serious note, I think this was a smart move. Leonhard is a good young coaching prospect and obviously loves the university and program.)
November 20th, 2022 at 3:07 PM ^
I'd basically love up on a turnip--naked and in public--for that kinda money, but cool.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:43 PM ^
If I were him, I'd work really hard on finding and bringing in a good offensive coordinator. I hear Scott Frost might be looking for a job.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:46 PM ^
Would the Wisconsin faithful have a meltdown similar to the meltdown some of us had, if they switch to a spread offense?
November 20th, 2022 at 2:01 PM ^
Melted cheese. Yum.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:48 PM ^
Jesse Plemmons won't even consider that Wisconsin job. The man is too busy.
November 21st, 2022 at 10:59 AM ^
Doesn't he look like a Neanderthal Matt Damon?
November 20th, 2022 at 1:52 PM ^
The Big Red Alliance
November 20th, 2022 at 2:10 PM ^
But can they afford his mom?
November 20th, 2022 at 2:51 PM ^
They need a good one, but I think one of the advantages Wisconsin has is that they’ve got a good D-focused HC but they have as ingrained a pipeline of offense as any program in the country. And, as Michigan and Illinois (and Georgia!) have proven, that style they develop is one you can win with.
So they don’t need to go spread. They’ve got a good system that they just keep rolling, updating stuff here and there as needed.
They’re in a good spot, and while I think they were quick on the trigger for Paul Chryst (re-reading my comments on this board 2 years ago after Wisconsin demolished us was… quite the experience) I don’t think the idea working here is a bad one.
What they need in an OC is someone that can develop QBs and get the most out of their philosophy. They don’t need a radical change to get there.
November 20th, 2022 at 3:13 PM ^
I was only partly sarcastic about Frost because I do think he is a pretty good offensive mind but, for some reason, he just couldn't hack it as head coach. It looks like Cal is interested in him as an OC and I think he'll get some interest from teams where he'd be a much better fit than Wisconsin.
Agree about developing the QBs. And continuity will be important for a team like Wisconsin. They've had, and recruited around, the same identity for years and that's not something you just give up. But for some reason, the last two years have just been very, I don't know, unWisconsin. I really thought they would be one of the teams that would benefit the most from the extra Covid year, giving their OLine another year in the system. 🤷♂️
November 21st, 2022 at 11:02 AM ^
I honestly think Frost doesn't play well with others and needs to be the Alpha. He might be a real detriment as an assistant.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:47 PM ^
Do you have a link that they made it official? I have seen no such news
It's probably going to happen but I haven't seen them announce it yet
November 20th, 2022 at 1:50 PM ^
https://www.on3.com/college/wisconsin-badgers/news/report-wisconsin-plans-to-hire-jim-leonhard-as-next-head-coach/
November 20th, 2022 at 1:57 PM ^
I don't get why they made this decision unless they don't think they'll be getting a top candidate like Lance Liepold. I've not been particularly impressed by Wisconsin under Leonhard and whatever recruiting bump they think by returning him can't be that great because their class is currently 13th in conference and doesn't seem to have a ton of upward mobility.
November 20th, 2022 at 2:21 PM ^
This smacks of Saint Alvarez getting his hands dirty in the dirt pile. The home cooking is the thing of legend under Alvarez - I don't think he ever hired someone from outside the program, other than his own assistant coaches. I get that Liepold has ties to the program, but how strong are they?
With a new AD and Barry having been retired for a while now, I'd like to think he doesn't hold any power. But jeez, this sure looks like it...
November 20th, 2022 at 2:32 PM ^
He's a Wisconsin guy. He played under Alvarez and has been coaching their best unit, the defense, for some time now. He knows the Wisconsin system, and I'm not surprised McIntosh promoted him.
They are taking a bit of a gamble promoting a coordinator with no previous head coaching experience, but I understand the decision.
November 20th, 2022 at 2:54 PM ^
I suspect they thought Leonard was the next guy and axed Chryst to make sure he didn’t go anywhere else. This year’s performance is less of a factor.
November 20th, 2022 at 2:16 PM ^
He just coached his 6th game, was that Leonhard Part VI?
November 20th, 2022 at 2:17 PM ^
I'm making a prediction right now: Cole Cabana's first carry will go for 12 yards.
November 20th, 2022 at 3:00 PM ^
I haven't found Cananas tape to be very impressive
November 20th, 2022 at 2:18 PM ^
Solid internal hire.
November 20th, 2022 at 2:46 PM ^
This is actually a pretty good hire for Wisconsin. I think he’ll be able to turn things around there and probably stabilize Wisconsin into a really good team most years, with an occasional drop off but also an occasional excellent to great year. Better for the b1g overall IMO.
November 20th, 2022 at 2:49 PM ^
I can't believe GT hasn't hired Brent Key.. incredible what he has done with that team.
November 20th, 2022 at 3:06 PM ^
This was Wisconsin’s plan all along. Leanord was going to leave for a head coach job elsewhere and WI wanted to keep him. Hence, the sequence of events this season.