If the Cowboys hire Jim Leonhard, how much would it improve your offseason?
The Dallas Cowboys have started their search for a new defensive coordinator. Todd Archer of ESPN released a list of the team’s initial requests to interview three candidates. The names included are Minnesota Vikings pass game coordinator Daronte Jones, Cleveland Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda, and Denver Broncos assistant HC/pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard.
Out of the three names, Leonhard has emerged as a fan favorite to be the Cowboys’ play-caller on defense. Leonhard is someone head coach Brian Schottenheimer is familiar with, having spent three years together with the New York Jets from 2009-2011, when Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator, and Leonhard was the strong safety.
During Wednesday’s end-of-season press conference, Schotty was asked about his thoughts on the Broncos assistant head coach and if they’ve stayed in touch at all throughout the years.
I saw Jim before we played Denver. Jim’s a heck of football coach. You talk about a great football player, man. We had some great years together in New York. Again, I would not say we’ve stayed in touch. This business is hard. You get going a million miles [an hour]. You gotta speak to what Sean [Payton] and what that entire staff has done there. Vance Joseph is a guy I have a ton of respect for. Jim’s an excellent coach.
Calm, cool, and collected like someone who is trying not to tip their hand on what direction they might want to go. If the Cowboys go with someone like Leonhard, it will break the seemingly prerequisite that every defensive coordinator must have prior head-coaching experience. Dating all the way back to 2014 with Rod Marinelli, Mike Nolan, Dan Quinn, Mike Zimmer, and recently with Matt Eberflus.
On Wednesday, during the same press conference, owner and general manager Jerry Jones dismissed the notion that having prior head coaching experience or being a play-caller is a must in their search for a new coach. That opens up the door for Leonhard, who isn’t as wet behind the ears as some may think.
Before joining the Broncos coaching staff in 2024, Leonhard spent six seasons at the collegiate level as a defensive coordinator with the Wisconsin Badgers and served as the team’s interim head coach at the end of the 2022 season, when the team went 4-3. At Wisconsin, Leonhard’s defense ranked 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.
He took a year off from having a major coaching role and became a senior football analyst for the University of Illinois. Not because he wanted to step back from responsibilities, but because he was having hip surgery and still wanted to be involved in coaching. Broncos head coach Sean Payton would have hired him that season if it weren’t for the surgery.
Even though prior NFL experience isn’t required for Dallas, what seems to be a necessity for Schottenheimer is someone who’s a great teacher and communicator. Leonhard believes that both of those qualities are important to him as a coach. Our own David Howman covered this aspect of Leonhard in a very recent article that really delves into that aspect of Leonhard’s coaching personality.
One caveat in all of this is that if the Broncos’ current defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph, gets a head coaching opportunity and leaves Denver, Leonhard could be next in line as his heir apparent, depending on whether he wants to stay with the team. Payton seems very fond of his assistant head coach.
Whether Leonhard lands in Dallas or not, it’s nice to see that not only are they willing to look under every rock, but are willing to step out of their comfort zone and potentially hire someone who could be a great coach just needing a chance to prove themselves—kind of like who they have steering the ship in Schottenheimer.
Category: General Sports
