People always seem to think a head coach needs to come from a specific pool of types. Either NFL coordinators or college head coaches. Who made up that rule? The fact is good head coaches can come from a variety of positions. It comes down to a simple question. Does it look like he can coach? Then he deserves consideration. One name the Chicago Bears absolutely must consider in the upcoming cycle is Jim Leonhard.
NFL fans will remember that name as a former safety who played 10 years in the league, snagging 14 interceptions and making 431 career tackles. Former head coach Rex Ryan called him the “smartest” player he ever coached in his career. That is saying something considering he coached Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. It didn’t take long for Leonhard to transition into coaching after he retired in 2015. Wisconsin hired him as their defensive backs coach a year later.
It took him exactly one season before they promoted him to defensive coordinator.
Since then, the Badgers have consistently been one of the most dominant defenses in college football. Between 2017 and 2020, Leonhard’s defense ranked in the top 10 three times including 1st his first year and 5th last season. So far in 2021? Wisconsin is ranked 1st. This is not a coincidence. That defense is as well-coached as there is in all of football. Not just college. Especially when you consider the Badgers haven’t produced a single 1st or 2nd round pick over the previous four drafts. A sign that Leonhard is getting results with less-than-elite talent.
People might be hesitant with him because he’s never been a head coach but the reality is the NFL wouldn’t intimidate the man. He played in it for a decade. During that time he had a chance to learn from some pretty good coaches including John Harbaugh and Sean Payton. Not only that but he played for another good one in college in Barry Alvarez. Leonhard is more ready to be a head coach at any level than people think.
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Jim Leonhard is a wild card but has the aura of a football coach
He is intelligent, detailed, and not only gets his players to play hard but also disciplined. They aren’t known for making boneheaded mistakes, avoiding costly penalties, and are almost always where they’re supposed to be. That is something a good coach does. So there you have it. Motivation? Check. Xs and Os? Check. The only thing left is whether he might be able to build a good enough staff.
That is uncertain. Jim Leonhard has only coached in college but does have plenty of connections from his playing days he can lean on as well. There is little doubt he’d understand the kind of people he’d need to build a proper structure around Justin Fields, regardless of his defensive background. He likely won’t be the first name the Bears consider once they commence their proper search.
He should still be on their list though.
Every sign points to Leonhard having a bright future once he’s running his own team. Whether it be in college or the NFL. He is 39-years old. Somebody that can establish a winning culture that lasts several years. It’s unorthodox, but that doesn’t mean it is wrong. This guy is going to make some team successful. Why not Chicago?
