The Wisconsin Badgers have had a frustrating year in the Big Ten. Head coach Luke Fickell has assembled a coaching staff of many well-known people. In addition, the Badgers have been active on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal. However, it hasn’t gone well on the field. The program got more bad news, as one of their coaching staff members is in legal trouble. Former NFL head coach and current assistant Jack Del Rio was arrested for operating while intoxicated.
Wisconsin Badgers Jack Del Rio Arrested
According to the report, Del Rio was driving in Madison, Wisconsin, early Friday morning. His vehicle struck a street sign and broke a fence before resting in someone’s yard. Witnesses of the crash directed officers to the coach, who was walking away from the area. He was taken to a hospital for a blood draw, after which he was released to a responsible family member or friend. The University of Wisconsin released this statement about the incident.
“We take matters like this very seriously and we are continuing to gather information.”
Del Rio joined the staff in August as a senior advisor to Fickell. This is his first job in college football after years in the NFL. From 2003-2011, he was the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and then spent three years with the Oakland Raiders. He went a combined 93-94 as a head coach and made three playoff appearances. His most recent job was as the defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders, but he was let go when Dan Quinn came in as the new coach.
Wisconsin Badgers Outlook
The Luke Fickell era has not been great on the field. Fans were blown away by the hire and subsequent influx of players committing to the program. His infamous social media “Bat Signal” has become a fan favorite when someone commits to the program. However, on the field, the product has been subpar. The team went 7-6 last year, though many chalked it up to Fickell still getting acclimated to the new job. This year, the team is 5-4, but the losses have been truly embarrassing. Alabama came to Camp Randall Stadium and embarrassed the Badgers early in the season. In Big Ten play, it hasn’t gone much better.
Wisconsin looked good in the first half against USC but then collapsed in the second half, losing 38-21. Again, the Badgers held their own versus Penn State but were only able to muster up 13 points. The week after is the one that has fans questioning Fickell and his staff. The Badgers went to Iowa City and got stomped by the Hawkeyes 42-10. When the school hired Fickell, they wanted to be in the conversation for the Big Ten championship and even the College Football Playoff. They currently are middling in the middle with no clear direction.
Final Thoughts
The arrest of Jack Del Rio points to some of the lack of direction and accountability in the program. It will be interesting to see if the program hands out any punishment to the former NFL coach. Because he is a special advisor to Fickell, it might be on the head coach to make a decision. Programs have huge staffs; this has surfaced only because it involves a well-known name. This distraction doesn’t help the team prepare for the number one-ranked Oregon to come to Madison on Saturday. If the Badgers get blown out, there could be a slew of problems in the program.
