Wisconsin's Jack Del Rio arrested and cited for OWI

Former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio will resign from his role on the Wisconsin football staff after being arrested early Friday on citations for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Del Rio, who joined the Badgers as a senior advisor in August, allegedly struck a street sign with his vehicle, broke a fence and came to a rest in a yard, according to an incident report from the Madison (Wis.) Police Department.

3 Jack Del Rio was arrested in November 2024. AP

“He’s going to move forward and he’s going to resign and move on,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said during a news conference Monday. “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.

“We’ve got a few weeks left in the season, a lot of things to continue to fight for and nobody wants to take away from that, whether it’s me or Jack or anybody within our football program. We’ll move forward from that.”

Multiple reports stated officers were directed to the 61-year-old Del Rio by witnesses, which noted the ex-Raiders coach walked away from the area and “showed signs of impairment.”

Del Rio acknowledged driving the vehicle and was arrested for first-time OWI, according to ESPN.

The University of Wisconsin addressed the matter in a statement prior to Fickell’s announcement.

“Wisconsin Athletics is aware of the incident involving football staff member Jack Del Rio,” the statement read. “We take matters like this very seriously and we are continuing to gather information.”

Del Rio joined Fickell’s staff as a senior advisor in August after spending nearly 35 years as a player and coach in the NFL.

3 Del Rio previously served as the defensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

A former linebacker out of USC, Del Rio spent time with the Saints, Chiefs, Cowboys, Vikings and Dolphins during his playing days from the 1980s to the mid-1990s.

He began his coaching career in 1997 with the Saints as an assistant strength coach.

Del Rio later led the Jaguars as their head coach from 2003-11. He helmed the Raiders from 2015-17.

3 Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell, pictured here during a game against Iowa, hired Del Rio in a ‘special advisor’ role in August 2024. AP

His last NFL stop was with the Commanders, where he served as the defensive coordinator from 2020-23.

Del Rio and Fickell first crossed paths in New Orleans when Del Rio was the strength coach.

The Badgers, who are coming off their bye week, will face No. 1 Oregon on Saturday.

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