Jack Del Rio joins Wisconsin's staff as a senior adviser to coach Luke Fickell

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio has joined Wisconsin’s staff as a senior adviser to head coach Luke Fickell.

Del Rio’s roles will have him working with both the offense and defense as he assists Fickell.

The Athletic first reported Del Rio was joining Wisconsin’s staff.

Del Rio spent the last four years as the Washington Commanders’ defensive coordinator but was fired 12 games into the 2023 season. He has a 93-94 record in a 12-year NFL head coaching career that included stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-11) and Oakland Raiders (2015-17).

He played linebacker in the NFL from 1985-95 after a stellar college career at Southern California.

Wisconsin opens the second season of Fickell’s head coaching tenure Friday night by hosting Western Michigan. Coming off consecutive 7-6 seasons, the Badgers are opening the year outside the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2016.

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The Associated Press