I was a sophomore in high school--in California--when Wisconsin hired Barry, so my memory isn't exactly crystal clear about this, but my understanding is more like what Badge said above: yes, he was an up-and-coming hire, but no, he wasn't the kind of coach that traditionally strong programs were already salivating over. Regardless, even if he was a similarly marquis hire, this decision was a break from the Wisconsin mold in a pretty significant way.
And if Fickell can convince Leonhard to stick around, that will be one hell of a first recruiting job.