Luke Fickell Pulls Off Classy Move For Jim Leonhard's Final Game With Wisconsin

Luke Fickell made sure Jim Leonhard got his recognition Tuesday night after Wisconsin beat Oklahoma State.

The Badgers earned a 24-17 win over the Cowboys in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, and it was Jim Leonhard's final game with the program.

Following the victory, Fickell called up the team's former interim head coach and DC on stage, and chants of "Jimmy! Jimmy! Jimmy!" quickly broke out.

The Jim Leonhard era officially comes to a close.

Jim Leonhard announced ahead of the bowl game that he'd be leaving the program at the end of the year. It was a tough moment for fans.

There was a lot of momentum for Leonhard to become the head coach after Paul Chryst was fired. After all, he finished above .500 as the interim head coach and got the team to a bowl game.

However, AD Chris McIntosh decided to go a different direction and hire Luke Fickell. Fans are amped up for the Fickell era, but it's also a bit sad to watch Jim Leonhard ride off into the sunset.

Jim Leonhard ends his career at Wisconsin with a win over Oklahoma State. (Credit: Getty Images)

He gave everything to the program he played for. Nobody represents Wisconsin football better than him, and it was great to see Fickell give him his well-earned moment in the spotlight.

There's no question he deserves all the love and admiration Wisconsin fans have shown him for a long time. Now, it's time for him to find his new landing spot, which will likely be in the NFL, and for Fickell to officially take the Badgers to the next level.

Luke Fickell is now in complete control of the Wisconsin Badgers. Jim Leonhard coached his final game with the program. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Jim Leonhard is beloved by fans, but that doesn't mean supporters of the program still aren't excited for the new future. Trust me when I say Wisconsin fans are definitely fired up to see what Fickell does. It's time to get things rolling on next year!