Bills hire former player Leonhard as defensive coordinator

BUFFALO, NY. — Former Bills player Jim Leonhard has been hired as the team’s new defensive coordinator, it was announced on Saturday.

The hiring marks a change in direction on the defensive side of the ball after Sean McDermott was fired following nine seasons leading the Bills and their defense.

Leonhard, 43, is currently the defensive pass game coordinator/assistant head coach with the Denver Broncos. This year, the Broncos’ defense put up 68 sacks, four short of tying the single-season record (72, 1984 Bears), and allowed the second-fewest yards per game (278.2).

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Leonhard joined the Broncos in 2024 as the defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach.

Prior to that, he was a senior football analyst at Illinois and spent 2016-22 coaching at Wisconsin, including all but one year as the defensive coordinator and spending some of the 2022 season as interim head coach.

Undrafted out of Wisconsin, Leonhard played for the Bills from 2005 to 2007 and in 2013. The 10-year NFL safety and special teams player also played for the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Broncos and Cleveland Browns.

Leonhard marks the second Broncos coach that new Bills coach Joe Brady has added to his staff in a coordinator role. The Bills also hired Pete Carmichael as their offensive coordinator. Brady and Carmichael worked under then-New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton in 2017-18.

Brady and Leonhard have not overlapped on a coaching staff previously.

“I only get one opportunity to be a head football coach,” Brady said during his introductory news conference. “I’m not in the business of hiring my friends, and making sure I want to get the best football coaches for these players cause they deserve that, and so, that’s what’s important to me.”

Leonhard also met with the Los Angeles Chargers and Ravens for defensive jobs.