Tag: Jack Del Rio

Wisconsin staffer stepping down from Badgers coaching staff after OWI arrest

Wisconsin staffer stepping down from Badgers coaching staff after OWI arrest

Jack Del Rio is stepping down from the Wisconsin coaching staff following his recent OWI arrest, according to Badgers head coach Luke Fickell.

Fickell opened his Monday press conference with a statement on the situation:

“Obviously we take everything incredibly seriously that happens, with our student-athletes or our staff,” Fickell began. “We had an issue this weekend that I think our administration has released a statement already. That happened with Jack Del Rio on Thursday. I’ve been in communication on Friday with our administration, and have had some communication with Jack, have sat down with him. He’ll be releasing a statement here I would imagine shortly after the press conference. That he’s going to move forward, he’s going to resign and move on. It’s a tough situation, decisions that all of us have to be able to take full responsibility for. So that’s what Jack will do and we’ll continue to move forward.”

Del Rio then released the following:

“I’m grateful to Coach Fickell and the University of Wisconsin for the opportunity to work with such a talented coaching and support staff and some of the best young football players in the country. I have decided to step away from my position with the team, so they can focus all their attention on the remainder of the season.”

Here are further details of the incident, as first reported by BadgerExtra’s Colten Bartholomew.

Del Rio originally joined the Badgers staff over the summer after a long coaching tenure in the NFL, including as defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders (2020-23), head coach for the then-Oakland Raiders (2015-17), defensive coordinator for Denver Broncos (2012-14) and head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-11).

Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) is back on the field on Saturday, Nov. 16 against the No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks, needing just one more win to clinch bowl eligibility.

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Ex-Broncos DC Jack Del Rio arrested for OWI

Jack Del Rio was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, 61, was arrested last Friday for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, it was reported on Monday. Del Rio ran into a street sign and broke a fence, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.

Del Rio was a defensive coordinator in Denver from 2012-14, under head coach John Fox, before becoming a head coach in Oakland and Washington.

Prior to his arrest, Del Rio was a senior advisor to University of Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell. After his arrest, Del Rio resigned his post, according to ESPN.

“I’m grateful to Coach Fickell and the University of Wisconsin for the opportunity to work with such a talented coaching and support staff and some of the best young football players in the country,” Del Rio said in a statement Monday. “I have decided to step away from my position with the team, so they can focus all their attention on the remainder of the season.”

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Jack Del Rio resigns at Wisconsin after OWI arrest

Jack Del Rio resigned from his position at Wisconsin after an OWI arrest

Former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio resigned as senior adviser to Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell after an OWI arrest early Friday.

Per ESPN.com:

Del Rio, 61, was arrested shortly after midnight Friday after a vehicle he was driving hit a street sign, broke a fence and came to a rest in a yard, according to a Madison Police incident report. Officers were dispatched to the scene, located west of campus and Camp Randall Stadium, at 12:35 a.m.

Witnesses directed the officers to the driver, who was walking away from the area, according to the incident report. No injuries were reported.

“I’m grateful to Coach Fickell and the University of Wisconsin for the opportunity to work with such a talented coaching and support staff and some of the best young football players in the country,” Del Rio said in a statement Monday. “I have decided to step away from my position with the team, so they can focus all their attention on the remainder of the season.”

Del Rio was head coach of the Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars. He held coordinator positions with multiple NFL teams

Former Commanders DC Jack Del Rio arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated

Former Commanders DC Jack Del Rio is in the news.

Former Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is in the news again. Ron Rivera’s former defensive coordinator from 2020-23 was arrested early Friday for “operating while intoxicated after a car he was driving hit a street sign and broke a fence,” according to Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.

Del Rio, fired the day after Thanksgiving last season, joined the Wisconsin Badgers in August as a senior advisor to head coach Luke Fickell. Del Rio will reportedly resign from that role with Rittenberg receiving the following quote from Fickell.

“It’s a tough situation, decisions that all of us have to be able to take full responsibility for. So that’s what Jack will do, and we’ll continue to move forward.”

Del Rio, 61, played 11 seasons in the NFL before retiring and immediately jumping into coaching. He’s been a defensive coordinator for the Commanders, Denver Broncos, and Carolina Panthers and had two head-coaching stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders.

Former Raiders head coach arrested for Driving While Intoxicated

Reports are out that currently Wisconsin assistant and former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio was arrested recently for Driving While Intoxicated

In this episode of ‘where are they now’ we have some news about former Raiders and Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio. And it isn’t good news.

Reports are out Monday that Del Rio was arrested last Friday for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) when he crashed his car into a street sign.

Del Rio last coached in the NFL in 2023 when he was a defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders.

His last head coaching job was with the Raiders from 2015-17 where he had a 25-23 record. Prior to that he was a head coach for nine seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, posting a 68-71 record, this giving him a 93-94 record as a head coach with just one career playoff win.

Del Rio led the Raiders to a 12-4 record in 2016, but was ousted in the wildcard round. He was fired just a year later after the team regressed to finish 6-10, ushering in Jon Gruden’s return to the sideline.

It’s a small world when USC faces Wisconsin

Alex Grinch isn’t the only person with connections to both teams in this Wisconsin versus USC game.

When the USC Trojans take on the Wisconsin Badgers this weekend, it will be a matchup of two teams with a number of connections.

USC has one player from the state of Wisconsin on its roster, defensive tackle Gavin Meyer. Wisconsin, meanwhile, has two players from the state of California: wide receiver C.J. Williams and kicker Gianni Smith.

The two teams also have several coaching connections. Wisconsin co-defensive coordinator / safeties coach Alex Grinch spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as USC’s defensive coordinator. Grinch and USC head football coach Lincoln Riley also coached together at Oklahoma from 2019-21. Grinch and USC offensive coordinator / offensive line coach Josh Henson coached together at Missouri from 2012-14.

In addition, Wisconsin’s senior advisor to head coach Luke Fickell is Jack Del Rio, who was a consensus All-America linebacker at USC in 1984. Del Rio played in the 1982 Fiesta Bowl and 1985 Rose Bowl and was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.

Wisconsin linebacker Tackett Curtis played at USC in 2023, making eight starts and recording 40 tackles. Wisconsin wide receiver CJ Williams also played at USC in 2022, catching four passes for 34 yards.

These connections add an extra layer of intrigue to this weekend’s matchup. With so many familiar faces on both sides, it’s sure to be an intense and competitive game.

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Several reasons Commanders opening week is exciting

Why fans should be excited about Sunday and the 2024 season.

Who are the 2024 Washington Commanders?

Who knows?

Seriously, nobody knows. This season is unique in the sense that there are so many unknowns. It raises our curiosity, anticipation, and excitement.

  1. There’s a new sheriff in town: Adam Peters. This was Peters’ first offseason, and now, it is the beginning of his first season as an NFL general manager. He is not inexperienced, however. He has been working like crazy, making all sorts of signings, and he’s shown he’s not afraid to make unexpected trades. I just now counted 30 new players to the Commanders roster this year!
  2. When Dan Quinn was hired, much displeasure was voiced and posted on social media. That didn’t take long to change, however. Quinn is personable, direct, has a sense of humor, and has been full of energy every time he has been called upon. The players like him and respect him, and the fan base has quickly changed their minds. There is excitement in the air, and Quinn is a major reason.
  3. Jayden Daniels is only a rookie, but in his two brief (very) preseason appearances, he was decisive and accurate. There was much excitement before Robert Griffin’s debut in 2012, and rightly so. But doesn’t Daniels appear more prepared and poised? How many times will Daniels run a zone-read option Sunday against the Bucs? How will he handle the defensive pressure of a good, defensive playoff team last year?

https://twitter.com/granthpaulsen/status/1822329867376947482

Oh, there are more reasons why the DMV is excited about this 2024 team. Here are some other reasons there’s such anticipation.

The 2023 team was horrible. They lost their final eight games and four games last season by 34, 20, 12, 35, 30, 17, and 28 points! That’s four games by 28 or more points! One reason there is such optimism is that Ron Rivera’s final team lowered the bar so much. If this team is competitive throughout the season, it will be progress.

The team made it through the preseason with no major injuries. Yes, Jordan Magee is going to miss a few games. Yes, Brandon Coleman and Johnny Newton did not play in the preseason. But Coleman will be back for the opener, and Newton is trending to play soon.

Linebacker play was a weakness the last four years despite the fact that Rivera and Jack Del Rio were good linebackers themselves in the NFL. But Peters has brought in Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner. On paper, that looks tremendously better. How much does Wagner have remaining in his body? It’s another unknown; he is 34. Yet, he did lead the NFL with 183 tackles (96 solo, 87 assisted) in 2023.

There are unknowns and question marks. But one thing is certain: there has not been this much excitement for a season opener since 2012.

Wisconsin adds former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio to staff

A Big Ten program has added a long time NFL head coach to their coaching staff.

The Wisconsin Badgers have added long-time NFL head coach and assistant, Jack Del Rio, to their staff. According to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman (subscription required), Del Rio will serve as a senior advisor to Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell and assist the Badgers on offense and defense.

The 61-year-old Del Rio was most recently the defensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders from 2020-2023. He also previously spent time with the New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, and Oakland Raiders.

During his NFL head coaching career, Del Rio collected a 94-97 record, which includes a 1-3 record in the playoffs.

Notably, the California native has never had a job in college football. He jumped into coaching in the NFL immediately after the end of his playing career in 1996.

Nebraska will host Wisconsin on November 23 in their final home game of the 2024 regular season.

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Former NFL head coach joins Wisconsin Badgers football staff

Jack Del Rio has joined the Wisconsin Badgers football staff.

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.

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.

Wisconsin adds longtime NFL coach to coaching staff entering 2024 season

Wisconsin adds longtime NFL coach to coaching staff entering 2024 season

Wisconsin has hired longtime NFL coach Jack Del Rio as a senior advisor to head coach Luke Fickell before the 2024 season, as first reported by The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman.

Del Rio has been spotted at the Badgers training camp over the last few weeks. This news ends speculation about whether he was hired to an official role with the program.

Related: Ranking the biggest storylines entering Wisconsin’s Week 1 contest vs. Western Michigan

The longtime NFL coach was most recently the Washington Commanders’ defensive coordinator from 2020-23. His coaching experience spans back to 1997 and includes stints as a head coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-11) and the then-Oakland Raiders (2015-17).

He has decades of experience in the sport and should bring a valuable perspective to Fickell’s staff.

This is Del Rio’s first job at the college level — though he has experience as a linebackers coach, defensive coordinator and head coach. This stint with the Badgers could serve as a valuable springboard into another NFL job for Del Rio after he was fired by the Commanders in November.

This news comes after Fickell first reportedly wanted to bring in former NFL Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel to help on the Badgers staff. Vrabel, Fickell’s college teammate, went on to take a consultant job with the Cleveland Browns earlier this offseason.

Del Rio still fits that mold as an experienced NFL coach with a valuable perspective that the Badgers currently lack on their staff.

Fickell, Del Rio and the Badgers begin their 2024 season on Friday night against Western Michigan. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT, 9 p.m. ET.

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