Wisconsin staffer Jack Del Rio resigns following arrest for allegedly operating vehicle while intoxicated

Wisconsin staff member Jack Del Rio has resigned from his position with the Badgers, coach Luke Fickell announced Monday amid news of Del Rio’s arrest last week for allegedly operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

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

According to Madison police, a car that Del Rio was operating struck a street sign and broke a fence, and officers responding to the scene noted that he “showed signs of impairment.”

Del Rio joined Wisconsin’s staff in August as a senior adviser to Fickell. This is his first foray into the college ranks after decades of experience in the NFL. That includes a couple of different head coaching stints. Del Rio led the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003-11 and was afforded another opportunity to helm a franchise from 2015-17 with the Oakland Raiders. He posted a combined 93-94 record over those two stints with three total playoff appearances, though he never made it past the divisional round. 

Del Rio, a former linebacker at USC, made his name rising up the coaching ranks on the defensive side of the ball. He earned his first big opportunity in 1998 as the linebackers coach with the New Orleans Saints and in 2002 was named defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. He was also the defensive coordinator with the Denver Broncos (2012-14) and the Washington Commanders (2020-23).