Veteran NFL coach Jack Del Rio will work in college football for the first time this season. Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell has hired the longtime defensive coordinator as a senior adviser, as reported by The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman.
Del Rio will work with both the Badgers’ defense and offense, in addition to helping with personnel and as a sounding board for Fickell. This will be Del Rio’s first job in college football after nearly 40 years in the NFL as a player and coach.
Fickell hoped to hire former Tennessee Titans coach (and former Ohio State teammate) Mike Vrabel in such a role, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. Vrabel opted to take a position with the Cleveland Browns as a coaching and personnel consultant instead.
Del Rio, 61, was fired as the Washington Commanders‘ defensive coordinator last season after Week 12. That followed a three-game stretch in which the Commanders’ defense allowed 105 points. When he was dismissed by then-head coach Ron Rivera, Del Rio’s defense was ranked No. 32 in the NFL.
He played 11 seasons in the NFL as a linebacker, notably with the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings, after being drafted in the third round in 1985 out of USC. Del Rio coached with seven NFL teams, including stints with the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Commanders as a defensive coordinator, and as a head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars and then-Oakland Raiders.
Through the offseason, Del Rio reportedly visited several college programs in addition to Wisconsin — including Washington, where his son, Luke, is a quality control offensive analyst.
The Badgers kick off their 2024 season on Friday versus Western Michigan. Wisconsin went 7–6 last season during Fickell’s first season in Madison.