UW-Madison’s athletic director deserves a hand for his firm, capable leadership these last few months.
The easy thing would have been to let football coach Paul Chryst complete the season. But after two of the worst halves in program history in back-to-back games against Ohio State and Illinois and a revealing discussion, athletic director Chris McIntosh felt he had change the direction of the program. McIntosh named defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard the interim head coach but indicated he would conduct a national search for Chryst’s successor.
Coach Leonhard, a relatively inexperienced but brilliant young coach, actively campaigned for the job prematurely, outlining his plans for the future in team meetings.
That didn’t make things any easier for McIntosh who had been quietly recruiting and evaluating many of the top coaching candidates, including Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell, one of the top coaches in the country.
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The easy, more popular choice would have been Badgers legend Leonhard. But McIntosh, with the support of Chancellor Jennifer Mnookinopted to go outside the Badgers family to hire the more seasoned Fickell.
If coach Fickell’s early recruiting results are any measure, McIntosh’s insistence on doing what’s best for Wisconsin is already paying off big time. OnWisconsin.
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