Jake Leonard enters his sixth season on the Benedictine College football coaching staff in 2026, serving as the Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator. A former standout center for the Ravens, Leonard returned to his alma mater in 2021 and has since become an integral part of the program's championship culture.
Under Leonard's guidance, the Ravens' ground game and offensive front have reached national prominence. In 2025, his offensive line paved the way for a rushing attack that amassed 3,157 yards—ranking No. 4 in the nation.
Leonard has established a reputation for elite player development up front, headlined by coaching back-to-back classes of dominant, decorated lines.
- 2024 Season: Guided four linemen to All-Conference honors, featuring First-Team selections Rashad Beckham and Britton Smith, alongside Second-Team selections Jakobe Hinton and Harrison Schmitt.
- 2025 Season: Achieved the rare feat of coaching an entire starting unit to postseason honors. All five starting offensive linemen earned All-Conference selections, with Rashad Beckham, Britton Smith, and Harrison Schmitt securing First-Team accolades, while Jakobe Hinton and Tres Madrid earned Second-Team honors.
Additionally, Leonard developed Rashad Beckham into the prestigious 2025 Rimington Award Winner, recognizing him as the top center in the country.
Prior to taking over the offensive line, Leonard spent three seasons coaching tight ends and two seasons managing the specialists, demonstrating a remarkable track record of player development:
- Tight Ends: Mentored Reed Levi (2021 & 2022 First-Team All-Conference, 2023 Second-Team All-Conference, 2023 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team) and Tanner Zimmerman (2023 Second-Team All-Conference).
- Specialists: Coached a dominant specialist group in 2022 and 2023, including Cullen Bruner (First-Team All-Conference Punter), Harry Balke (First-Team All-Conference Kicker), and Zach Philippi (2023 First-Team All-Conference Long Snapper).
As both a player and a coach, Leonard has been a part of five Heart of America Conference Championships (2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025). On the national stage, he helped guide the Ravens to the NAIA National Quarterfinals in 2022 and consecutive National Semifinal appearances in 2024 and 2025.
Professionally, Leonard represents Benedictine on a national level as an active member of the AFCA Assistant Coaches Committee, a position he has held since 2023.
Before joining the coaching ranks, Leonard was a premier anchor for the Ravens' offensive line from 2018 to 2019, starting 26 games at center. He was a vital leader on the historic 2018 squad that finished as the National Runner-Up. A true student-athlete, Leonard also earned recognition as a Daktronics Scholar-Athlete for his work in the classroom.
Leonard is a two-time graduate of Benedictine College. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science with an emphasis in Coaching & Strength and Conditioning, followed by a Master of Arts in Business Administration. He is also First Aid/CPR certified.
Leonard’s approach to mentoring student-athletes is guided by a favorite quote from George Papageorgiou:
"They don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."
A native of Peoria, Arizona, Leonard comes from a proud legacy family; he is the son of Mark Leonard (BC Class of '87) and Jodi Leonard. He has one sister, Morgan.
