Wisconsin’s Jack Del Rio arrested and cited for OWI

Former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio will step down from his role on Wisconsin’s football staff after being arrested early Friday for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

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

“He’s going to move forward and he’s going to step back and move on,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said during a news conference Monday. “But it is a tough situation, decisions for which we must all be able to take full responsibility. So that’s what Jack will do and we’ll continue to move forward.

“We’ve got a couple 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 in our football program. We’ll move on from that.”

More reports stated officers were directed to the 61-year-old Del Rio by witnesses who noticed the former Raiders coach walking away from the area and “showing signs of impairment.”

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

“I am 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,” Del Rio said in a statement.

“I have decided to step away from my position with the team so they can focus all their attention on the rest of the season.”

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

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

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

A former USC linebacker, 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 helped the Raiders from 2015-17.

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

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

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