The Eagles are searching for a new defensive coordinator and the team has decided to go in another direction when it comes to Jim Leonhard.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the former Wisconsin defensive coordinator and Philadelphia have decided to mutually end his candidacy.
Fowler reports that Leonhard was already preparing to have hip surgery before interest from the Eagles and he’ll now continue that preparation.
The #Eagles and Jim Leonhard mutually decided they would not move forward with his DC candidacy, per league sources. Leonhard had planned to undergo hip surgery and sit out coaching for a year, but when Eagles job opened, both sides had interest in discussing the position, which… https://t.co/3zG4r6Ryy4
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 22, 2023
Leonhard coached for six seasons at Wisconsin as both the defensive coordinator and interim head coach for the 2022 season.
In Leonhard’s five seasons as defensive coordinator, Wisconsin ranked among the nation’s top five in total defense and top 10 in scoring defense four times. During that time, the Badgers rank third in scoring defense (17.3 points per game), first in total yards allowed (284.8 yards per game), first in pass efficiency defense (110.5), third in rushing defense (103.4 ypg), and first in opponents’ third down conversions (30.5%).
In 2022, Wisconsin allowed just 239.1 yards per game, the third-best mark in school history and the lowest total in Madison since 1954.
That was the fewest yards allowed by an FBS team since 2011.
