Acme Packing Company
In case anyone hasn’t heard, the Green Bay Packers have an opening at defensive coordinator after Jeff Hafley was hired to be the head coach of the Miami Dolphins earlier this week. The team has already lined up interviews with several candidates, including Eagles passing game coordinator Christian Parker, Vikings passing game coordinator Daronte Jones, and former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.
There have been other names thrown into the ring as possible candidates as well, including former Packer Al Harris, who is currently the passing game coordinator for the Bears, and former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who has close ties to Matt LaFleur. One name that keeps popping up? Wisconsin native Jim Leonhard. Leonhard, a former walk-on safety at the University of Wisconsin, is currently the passing game coordinator and assistant head coach for the Denver Broncos. He interviewed for the defensive coordinator role in 2021 when Mike Pettine left the team, and his name was again brought up as an option before the Packers hired Jeff Hafley in 2024, so there are already some serious ties between Leonhard and his home state’s team.
Now, Leonhard’s got the endorsement of Wisconsin royalty backing him up. Barry Alvarez, if you’ve heard of him, spoke with the folks over at ESPN Madison on Wednesday and made it clear who his first choice is for the Packers defensive coordinator opening.
The former Badgers head coach and athletic director spoke highly of the man he coached for four years back in the early 2000s, saying, “If you can get Jimmy Leonhard, they need to go get him. End of story.” The team can’t officially interview Leonhard yet, while his Denver Broncos prepare for Sunday’s AFC Championship, but they can meet with him afterwards if they so choose. With a resume that includes 10 years of NFL playing experience and another 10 years of college and professional coaching, bringing Leonhard in for an interview makes sense. I now ask you, dear reader: should the Packers hire a beloved Wisconsin figure as their next defensive coordinator?
