The Illini defensive got an unexpected boost. Illinois announced on Tuesday the addition of former Wisconsin coach Jim Leonhard to its staff as a senior analyst.

A well-respected defensive mastermind, Leonhard last served as the interim head coach for the Badgers following the dismissal of Paul Chryst last fall.

The Wisconsin connected paid dividends for the Illini. A former All-American safety, Leonhard played one year for Bret Bielema at Wisconsin when Bielema was the defensive coordinator under Bary Alvarez.

That year,. Leonhard earned first-team All-America honors and was a finalist for the inaugural Lott IMPACT Trophy.

As a coach, Leonhard spent seven seasons in Madison, six as the defensive coordinator. He built a strong reputation and built the Badgers defensive into one of the nation's top performing units.

During Leonhard's tenure as defensive coordinator from 2017-2022, Wisconsin ranked among the nation's top five in total defense and top 10 in scoring defense four times. He went on to be named a finalist for the Broyles Award, presented to the nation's top assistant coach, in his first season running Wisconsin's defense

He will now lend that expertise to an Illinois staff that is breaking in a new defensive coordinator in Aaron Henry, who takes over after former DC Ryan Walters left to become the head coach at Purdue.

In 2021, Wisconsin allowed just 239.1 yards per game, the third-best mark in school history and the lowest total at UW since 1954. That was the fewest yards allowed by an FBS team since 2011.

Leonhard finished his college playing career with 21 interceptions. He started 39 consecutive games at safety en route to becoming one of the best defensive players in school history.

Leonhard took over as the interim head coach of the Badgers when Chryst was fired following a 34-10 loss to Illinois in week five last season. He guided UW to a 4-3 record, propelling the Badgers to a bowl-eligible 6-6 regular season record.