The Wisconsin Badgers added a senior advisor to the football staff just before the season began. Jack Del Rio, former head coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders, has agreed to a role as a senior advisor.
Del Rio was a linebacker at USC and also played for four NFL teams. He has never been part of the college coaching ranks. Head coach Luke Fickell will use Del Rio to work with the offense and defense for the Badgers.
Fickell is starting his second season with Wisconsin. Before he came to Madison, he was the head coach at Cincinnati. The Columbus Ohio native played his college football at Ohio State, and then went to the NFL and played for the New Orleans Saints.
BREAKING: Former NFL coach Jack Del Rio is joining the Wisconsin #Badgers as a Senior Advisor to Luke Fickell, per multiple sources. #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/fWyB6oEASo
— ESPN Madison (@ESPNMadison) August 29, 2024
The Badgers start their season on Friday, as they take on the Broncos of Western Michigan. A season ago, the Badgers went 7-6 but fell in the bowl game to LSU at the end of the season.
Wisconsin has a meeting against South Dakota on September 14th, but they host the Alabama Crimson Tide on September 21st. Wisconsin starts its Big Ten action the following week at Del Rio’s alma mater USC.