Jack Del Rio, a seasoned NFL veteran and former head coach, found himself in legal trouble over the weekend following an incident in Madison, Wisconsin. Del Rio, currently serving as a senior adviser to Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell, was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) after crashing his car near the University of Wisconsin campus.
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According to an incident report obtained by ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, the crash occurred shortly after midnight on Friday. Del Rio's vehicle collided with a street sign, broke through a fence, and came to a halt in a residential yard. Witnesses promptly alerted the police, who discovered Del Rio walking away from the crash site upon their arrival. Although uninjured, Del Rio admitted to being the driver, and officers observed signs of impairment, leading to his arrest for first-time OWI. He was subsequently released.
In response to the arrest, the University of Wisconsin issued a statement emphasizing that they were aware of the situation and were taking it "very seriously." Del Rio joined the university's football staff in an advisory role before the start of the season, marking his initial foray into college football coaching.
Del Rio's coaching career has spanned decades, with notable stints as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003-2011 and the then-Oakland Raiders from 2015-2017. His most recent role in the NFL was as the defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders, a position he held from 2020 until his dismissal midway through the 2023 season.
Prior to coaching, Del Rio played as a linebacker in the NFL throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, bringing his hard-nosed, defensive mindset to his coaching philosophy. While there was speculation in the past linking Del Rio to prominent college head coaching opportunities, this season marks his first active participation in a collegiate program.
