For the second straight offseason, Wisconsin has a new defensive coordinator. This time, though, the name couldn't be more familiar to Badger fans.
Jim Leonhard, the former Wisconsin great who just finished his first season as a Badger assistant last month, was named the team's new defensive coordinator Thursday.
Leonhard was a three-time All-Big Ten First Team and First Team All-America selection during his four-year career at Wisconsin from 2001 to 2004. He matched the Badgers' all-time record for career interceptions with 21 and still ranks second in Big Ten history with 1,347 career punt-return yards.
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Leonhard then spent a decade in the NFL, playing for the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns.
Last season was his first on the Badgers' staff. He served as the team's defensive backs coach as that unit put together a sensational season, coming away with the bulk of Wisconsin's 22 interceptions, a number bested by just one FBS team last season.
Leonhard succeeds Justin Wilcox, who after one season as the Wisconsin defensive coordinator left for the head-coaching job at Cal. Wilcox spent just one season succeeding Dave Aranda, who left after the 2015 season to serve as the defensive coordinator at LSU.
But defensive success for the Badgers has remained consistent regardless of who's been running the show the past several seasons. In 2016, Wisconsin ranked fourth in the country in scoring defense and seventh in total defense. In 2015, the Badgers were first in the nation in scoring defense and second in total defense. In 2014, they were fourth in total defense and 17th in scoring defense.
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Now it's on one of Wisconsin's all-time great defenders to continue that success.