Nebraska football: 3 realistic candidates to replace Scott Frost

Sep 10, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold celebrates with cornerback Ra'Mello Dotson (3) after beating the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /

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3. Jim Leonhard, Wisconsin DC

Jim Leonhard screams Big Ten head coach.

The Wisconsin defensive coordinator played for the Badgers before going undrafted and then playing nearly a decade in the NFL. He was never the biggest guy on the field, but he’s a heck of a defensive mind and that’s why he was able to stick around in the NFL for so long.

Leonhard decided to head back to Wisconsin to be an assistant coach for his alma mater when his playing days were over and he took over as defensive backs coach for a year before being promoted to defensive coordinator under Paul Chryst.

For years now, Wisconsin has had one of the best defenses in the country. The Badgers are consistently Big Ten contenders because of that defense — I promise it’s not the offense.

Leonhard has been rumored to be a top coaching candidate for years now and he could bring that grit and defensive mindset to Lincoln where he’d excel. Nebraska fans loved their defense and he would rejuvenate the program starting with that side of the ball.

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