Today’s USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast begins a new series called “Home Team.” This series will broadcast once every week for the next few weeks and features guest host Joel Nellis, the assistant coach and offensive line coach at Brookfield Central High School (Wisconsin). He was on the Coach and Coordinator podcast as a guest July 2. The “Home Team” series will air every Monday for the next few weeks, talking to various coaches about balancing life in football and life at home. The first guest Nellis has is Jim Leonhard, defensive coordinator at the University of Wisconsin.

Leonhard is in his third season on the coaching staff at Wisconsin. He started by coaching the defensive backs his first season, then moved to defensive coordinator in his second season on the staff. As a defensive coordinator in 2017, Leonhard was a finalist for the Broyles Award for the nation’s top assistant. Before coaching, Leonhard spent 10 seasons in the NFL as a player with the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns. Prior to playing professionally, Leonhard was an all-American defensive back at Wisconsin.

In today’s podcast, Leonhard talks about how he integrates his family with his work and the importance of time management with balancing football and home life.

Show Notes

1:10 Leonhard on how he met his wife

2:04 How his wife helps make work-life balance easier

3:23 What makes his sons unique

5:06 Transitioning from playing to coaching with his family

7:06 Early career decisions made with his wife

8:54 Making time for family while in season

10:36 Having a kid-friendly environment at work

12:39 Diving into coaching without serving as a graduate assistant first

14:19 Using coaches’ knowledge and teaching skills

16:24 Game planning without looking too far ahead

18:57 Preparing the best ways to win the game

21:47 Coaching players to understanding and executing

24:33 Getting players to buy in to the game plan

27:11 Learning from other programs while focusing inward

30:19 Being fully prepared and still losing the game

34:18 Knowing when to sacrifice time and when not to

36:13 Making an importance on seeing the big picture

37:54 His kids putting things in perspective after a loss

39:32 Legacy for his family through coaching