ESPN on Saturday reported the resignation of former NFL coach and head advisor of head coach of Wisconsin, Jack Del Rio, after he was arrested on Wednesday for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
According to ESPN's Adam Ritteberg, Del Rio's vehicle crashed near the west campus and Camp Randall Stadium, hitting a street sign and breaking a fence. The police arrived at the crash scene at about 12:25 am.
As per the incident reports, witnesses directed the police to the driver, walking away from the scene. According to the police, the driver, 61-year-old Del Rio, who admitted to driving the car, 'showed signs of impairment.' He was arrested by the police for first-time OWI (operating while intoxicated) and later released.
ESPN also reported a statement from Del Rio announcing his resignation from the position of senior adviser to head coach Luke Fickell. He said,
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."
On Monday, Wisconsin released an official statement acknowledging the situation and informing the public that they take events like this very seriously. Head coach Luke Fickell on Monday said,
"He's going to move forward and he's going to resign and move on. But 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's journey to Wisconsin's staff team
According to his Wikipedia page, Jack Del Rio had a stellar football career in college in South Carolina and went on to play linebacker for the NFL from 1985 to 1996 with about four teams.
He began his coaching career as an assistant in 1997 with the New Orleans Saints. He then worked with a few other teams, and in 2003, he became the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars until he was fired after the 2011 season.
For a short period, he also served as defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos and then went on to be the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2015, but he was fired after the 2017 season.
Later, he worked with ESPN as an analyst and defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders from 2020 until he was fired in the middle of the 2023 season.
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The University of Wisconsin hired him as its head coach's senior advisor only a few months ago, in August 2024.
In 2022, Del Rio, who at the time was a defensive coordinator of Washington Commanders, came under fire for his comments on the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack.
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