Illinois defeated Wisconsin by a score of 34-10). There is a time and a place for it.
The Wisconsin football team started the season poorly and was fired on Sunday.
In a news conference Sunday night, the athletic director said that he met with the coach in the morning and had an extensive discussion before making a change.
"It's a big decision and it's got implications that aren't lost on me, but really, really thankful to have been able to work side by side with Coach Chryst through some incredibly exhilarating, positive moments, and some tough ones like today."
Jim will be the interim coach.
The players were told of the change by the three men.
The position of the program is always on my mind. I thought it was the right time to make that decision. It's a tough day for us all, and I take it very seriously. Today is the first day of the future of this program.
One day after the loss to Illinois, the decision was made to fire the coach. Wisconsin lost 52-21 to Ohio State and 17-14 to Washington State as heavy favorites.
The man who was born in Madison is 67-26 in seven seasons at Wisconsin. He won at least 10 games in four of his first five seasons at the University of Wisconsin. The program fell off starting in 2020, going 4-3, before a slow start to the 2021.
It came as a surprise.
Braelon Allen, the star running back, said that anyone who wanted the coach to go wouldn't be on the team.
According to his contract, Wisconsin will owe him $16.4 million if he is fired without cause, but that will be less than has been reported. The Wisconsin athletic board voted in January to roll over the five-year contract of the head football coach.
Leonhard, a three-time All-America defensive back at the school who went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL, returned to Wisconsin as an assistant in 2016 and took over as defensive coordinators the next year. He is expected to be a candidate for the permanent job.
He owes it to the program to conduct a full coaching search when the time is right, but he was complimentary of Leonhard and what he meant to the program.
Jim is a good fit for this program because of his work ethic, competitiveness, and fit. We were fortunate to have Jimmy on the staff because of his ability to lead and his ability to reach.
Leonhard said in the news conference that the day was "very emotional" and that he had no coaching experience when he was hired.
The interim job was a dream come true for Leonhard. Addressing the players' emotions is his first priority.
The majority of the players that came to Wisconsin were affected by the news. This year's five-game résumé isn't what we want. We didn't play up to our capabilities.
The state of Wisconsin is going to visit the school this week. He didn't know if he would continue to call the defense or hand it off to another person.
He's ready to help Wisconsin move forward.
This place is very important to me. He said that he became who he was at the University of Wisconsin. I think I can help this place grow. I came back a number of years ago.
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