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Next Wisconsin Football Coach Odds – Jim Leonhard and Bill O’Brien Listed as Favorites

John Perrotto

by John Perrotto in College Football

Updated Oct 4, 2022 · 10:39 AM PDT

Wisconsin Badgers interim head coach Jim Leonhard
Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard during training camp at Camp Randall Stadium. Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY NETWORK NCAA Football: Wisconsin Badgers-Training Camp
  • Wisconsin fired coach Paul Chryst on Sunday despite his 67-26 career record
  • Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is the interim coach
  • A look at the next Wisconsin football coach odds can be found below

When Wisconsin fired coach Paul Chryst on Sunday, it came as a surprise in many circles.

Though the Badgers are 2-3 this season, Chryst had a 67-26 record while running the program at his alma mater. There were no outward signs that he was on the hot seat.

Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, a Wisconsin legend, was named interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Next Wisconsin Football Coach Odds

Team Odds
Jim Leonhard +200
Bill O’Brien +300
Lance Leipold +450
Dave Aranda +600
Sean Lewis +800
Dave Doeren +1000
Matt Ruhle +1200
Tom Herman +1400
Matt Campbell +1600
Chris Peterson +1800
Dan Mullen +2100

Odds as of October 4th. 

The next Wisconsin football coach odds are for the full-time coaching position, not interim.

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Leonhard, O’Brien The Favorites

Leonhard is one of the most beloved figures in program history and a +200 favorite to retain the job. He was a three-time All-America defensive back for the Badgers then played in the NFL for 10 seasons.

In 2016, Leonhard began his coaching career at Wisconsin. He was promoted to defensive coordinator the following season.

It is never easy for any coach to jump into a new job at midseason. However, the schedule sets up well for Leonhard and the Badgers to have a strong finish.

They finish the season by playing Northwestern, Michigan State, Purdue, Maryland, Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota. None of those seven teams are currently ranked in the top 25 and all should be winnable games for Wisconsin.

Thus, Leonhard will have a chance to make a strong case that he should continue as the head coach beyond this season.

Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien is the second choice to replace Chryst at +300.

The knock on Wisconsin over the years, even when it was winning Big Ten championships, is that its offense is unimaginative. O’Brien would likely liven up the Badgers after playing a big role in the development of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who won the Heisman Trophy last season.

O’Brien is likely high on many school’s lists.

Though it was nine years ago, Wisconsin surely remembers when O’Brien was the head coach at Penn State and the Nittany Lions stunned the Badgers as 24.5-point underdogs in Madison in 2013.

Don’t Count Out Campbell

The most intriguing longshot is Iowa State coach Matt Campbell at +1600.

Campbell has done a marvelous job turning the Cyclones program around. They are 45-36 since he took over in 2016 and been to five straight bowl games.

Last Saturday’s loss at Kansas wasn’t one of his finest moments.

The one drawback for Wisconsin is that Campbell seems very happy in Ames and reluctant to leave. He has had opportunities to interview for bigger jobs and declined.

However, Campbell grew up in Big Ten country in Ohio. The opportunity to coach at a school in the conference that has a legitimate chance to win big on a yearly basis could be too good for Campbell to pass up.

The Next Wisconsin Coach Will Be …

Leonhard turned down the chance to become the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator at the end of last season. He has also had plenty of lucrative offers at the college level while in Madison.

However, Leonhard is a Badger through and through. It’s hard to imagine Wisconsin hiring anyone else.

Pick: Jim Leonhard (+200)

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