Broncos assistant head coach Leonhard draws Cowboys interest

Broncos assistant head coach and defensive pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard would be a potential candidate to replace Vance Joseph if the former Broncos head coach gets a second chance at the top job somewhere else from the slew of interviews he had this week.

But Leonhard could have options.

The former defensive coordinator and interim head coach at Wisconsin received permission to interview for the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive-coordinator vacancy.

Leonhard is the fourth Broncos assistant to interview for a higher role this week, joining Joseph, Davis Webb and Darren Rizzi.

Earlier this week, Dallas dismissed Matt Eberflus, the ex-Chicago Bears head coach who guided their defense in 2025, after a season in which the Cowboys finished dead last in scoring defense and 30th in total defense, the club’s worst ranking in 12 years.

BRONCOS HIRED LEONHARD AFTER SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE STINT

Leonhard joined the Broncos’ staff in 2024 after taking a year to serve in a more limited role as a senior analyst on Illinois’ staff following hip replacement surgery. That followed a successful six-year run as Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator, a stint that included two seasons leading FBS in total defense (2017 and 2021) and another two years in the nation’s top 10.

In 2022, Leonhard moved up to interim head coach following the Badgers’ in-season dismissal of Paul Chryst. Wisconsin went 4-3 on his watch, but the school elected to hire Luke Fickell for the permanent role, leaving Leonhard to depart his alma mater.

The Broncos hired Leonhard as secondary coach in 2024. Sean Payton was interested in adding him to his first staff in 2023, but Leonhard elected to take a year to undergo the hip procedure.

Following the 2020 season, Leonhard interviewed with the Green Bay Packers for their defensive-coordinator position and was offered the job, but ultimately declined it and remained with the Badgers.

Leonhard went into coaching after a 10-season playing career, including the 2012 campaign with the Broncos. Three of those seasons (2009-11) were spent with the New York Jets, where he crossed over with Schottenheimer, who at the time was Gang Green’s offensive coordinator.

That combination of NFL playing experience and success in the Big Ten landed him on NFL radars even before Payton tapped him for Denver’s staff. Thus, Leonhard’s ascent to calling an NFL defense has generally been considered more of a “when” than an “if” — as long as he desired that rather than a college position.

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