Jim Leonhard enters his second season with the Denver Broncos and first as defensive pass game coordinator/assistant head coach in 2025. He was hired by the club on Feb. 14, 2024.
Under Leonhard's coaching in 2024, cornerback Pat Surtain II became just the second player in franchise history to be named Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year. On the season, Surtain allowed the fewest passing yards (306) and second-lowest passer rating when targeted (59.1) among cornerbacks with at least 375 coverage snaps per NextGen Stats.
As a team, the Broncos allowed the sixth-fewest passing touchdowns (22), touchdown to interception ratio (1.5) and passer rating against (86.2) among all NFL teams in 2024. With the assistance of Leonhard's coaching, Denver also posted its first winning season in eight years in 2024 as well as its first playoff appearance since the 2015 season.
An eight-year coaching veteran at the collegiate level, Leonhard joined the Broncos after spending time with the University of Illinois (2023) and University of Wisconsin (2016-22).
In 2023, Leonhard served as a senior football analyst at Illinois after spending seven seasons at Wisconsin, including six years as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach (2017-22) and one season as defensive backs coach (2016). Leonhard also spent the last seven games of the 2022 season as the Badger's interim head coach, leading the team to a 4-3 record.
In his role as defensive coordinator, Leonhard oversaw one of the nation's most prolific defenses, ranking first among all Power-5 teams in first downs per game (15.4), third-down percentage (30.8) and yards per game (288.0) from 2017-22. Leonhard's defense also placed in the Top-5 in interception yards (1,337—2nd), takeaways (132—3rd), interceptions (87—3rd), touchdowns (157—T-3rd), interception touchdowns scored (11—T-4th) and points per game (17.9—5th) in that span.
A 2017 finalist for the Broyles Award—given annually to the best assistant coach in college football—Leonhard was responsible for the development of four Associated Press All-Americans, nine All-Big Ten first-teamers and the 2021 Big Ten Linebacker of the Year in linebacker Leo Chenal.
Leonhard led a Badger's defense in 2021 that averaged only 239.1 yards per game, the third-best mark in school history and the fewest yards allowed by a Wisconsin defense since 1954. His defense also became just the second FBS team since 2008 to allow fewer than 70.0 rush yards per game for a season, giving up just 64.8 yards on the ground per game.
In 2018, Leonhard's defense posted four shutouts—the first Big Ten team to do so since 1962—while limiting opponents to just a 27.2 percent conversion rate on third down. They also set a new school record with 51 sacks, led by All-American outside linebacker Zack Baun (12.5) and All-Big Ten inside linebacker Chris Orr (11.5).
In his first season in 2017, Leonhard oversaw a defense that ranked second nationally in yards per game (262.1), third in points per game (13.9) and third in rush yards per game (98.4).
Leonhard's impact could be seen in his first year as a coach in 2016, leading a secondary that helped spur the second-most interceptions (22) in FBS while helping Wisconsin rank fourth in scoring defense (15.6 ppg), seventh in total defense (301.4 ypg) and 10th in pass efficiency (106.9). Leonhard also coached cornerback Sojourn Shelton to first-team All-Big Ten accolades that season with four interceptions while team MVP safety Leo Musso grabbed a team-high five picks.
As a player, Leonhard spent 10 seasons in the NFL as a safety with Buffalo (2005-07, '13), Baltimore (2008), the N.Y. Jets (2009-11), Denver (2012) and Cleveland (2014). In his career, he appeared in 142 games (73 starts) and produced a total of 396 tackles (307 solo), 4.5 sacks (47.5 yds.), 14 interceptions (247 yds., 1 TD), 35 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.
A member of the Broncos' 2012 team that finished the season with the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 13-3 record, Leonhard played in all 16 games (1 start). He finished the year with 17 tackles (12 solo), two interceptions, two passes defensed, one fumble recovery while also returning 15 punts for 89 yards (5.9 avg.) and one kickoff for 18 yards.
A 2015 inductee to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, Leonhard played four years with the Badgers, earning three first-team All-America and first-team All-Big Ten (2002-04) accolades after originally joining the program as a walk-on. Playing in all 51 games (39 starts) with Wisconsin, Leonhard tied the program record with 21 interceptions (251 yds.) while also recording 281 tackles (182 solo), one sack (8 yds.), 47 passes defensed, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.
As a returner at Wisconsin, he also broke the Big Ten record for career punt return yards at the time with 1,347 yards on 105 returns (12.8 avg.) with three touchdowns.
A native of Tony, Wis., Jim Leonhard was born Oct. 27, 1982.
ASSOCIATED PRESS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (1): CB Pat Sutain II (2024)
ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-PRO PLAYERS COACHED (1): CB Pat Sutain II (2024)
PRO BOWL PLAYERS COACHED (1): CB Pat Sutain II (2024)
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