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Longtime NFL coach Jack Del Rio joining Wisconsin football's staff

Del Rio will be a senior advisor to head coach Luke Fickell, according to reports.
Will Ragatz|
Sep 10, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio react during the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at FedExField.
Sep 10, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio react during the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at FedExField. | Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

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Wisconsin Badgers

Longtime NFL coach Jack Del Rio is joining Wisconsin football's staff as a senior advisor to head coach Luke Fickell, according to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman.

Del Rio will "assist both sides of the ball, personnel and be there for Luke Fickell to bounce ideas off of," Feldman wrote on X/Twitter.

This is a big-time hire for the Badgers. Del Rio has been a head coach for two NFL teams and a defensive coordinator for three others since beginning his coaching career in 1997. The 61-year-old also spent 11 seasons in the league as a linebacker, making the Pro Bowl in 1994 with the Vikings.

After starting out as an assistant coach with the Saints and Ravens, Del Rio was hired as Panthers' defensive coordinator in 2002. The following year, he was named the second head coach in Jaguars history. He held that role until he was fired in 2011, compiling a 68-71 record with two playoff appearances in nine seasons.

Following a stint as the Broncos' defensive coordinator, Del Rio was hired as the Raiders' head coach in 2015, where he went 25-23 over three seasons. He was mostly recently the Commanders' DC under Ron Rivera from 2020 until he was fired last November.

A coach with as much experience as Del Rio possesses figures to be a helpful asset for Fickell in his second full season as Wisconsin's head coach.

The Badgers, who went 7-6 last year, open their 2024 season against Western Michigan on Friday night.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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