A 24-point loss to Illinois was apparently the final straw for Wisconsin.
The Badgers fired head football coach Paul Chryst on Sunday and made defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard the interim head coach in a corresponding move:
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg initially reported the story.
ESPN's Pete Thamel shared the contractual details:
Pete ThamelPer Paul Chryst’s contract, the school owes him more than $16.4 million if he’s fired without cause. Terms of separation could apply. But that’s the contract.
Things started going wrong for Wisconsin in its second game of the year when it lost at home to Washington State 17-14 despite finishing with a 401-253 advantage in total yards.