Jack Del Rio to leave Wisconsin football team after drunken driving arrest, head coach says

Jack Del Rio will leave his role with the Wisconsin Badgers after he was arrested on a drunken driving citation last week, head football coach Luke Fickell said Monday.

Del Rio, 61, served as a senior adviser for the Badgers and was arrested in Madison, Wisconsin, early Friday morning. He joined Fickell’s staff before the start of the 2024 season.

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"He’s going to move forward, and he’s going to resign and move on," Fickell said. "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 released a statement on the matter later Monday.

"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," he said.

"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."

Del Rio struck a street sign and broke a fence before his vehicle came to a stop in a yard, ESPN reported, citing an incident report.

Police said Del Rio "showed signs of impairment" and admitted to being behind the wheel, according to the report. He was arrested on a first-time operating while intoxicated citation and released from police custody.

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"Wisconsin Athletics is aware of the incident involving football staff member Jack Del Rio," the school told ESPN. "We take matters like this very seriously, and we are continuing to gather information."

No injuries were reported in the incident.

Del Rio played in the NFL for 11 years before he became an assistant in the league. He was a defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders. He also served as a head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders.

Wisconsin is 5-4 this season with wins over Western Michigan, South Dakota, Purdue, Rutgers and Northwestern. The Badgers have three games left on the schedule, including No. 1 Oregon on Saturday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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