Longtime NFL coach Jack Del Rio is joining Wisconsin as senior adviser to the head coach, according to a source briefed on the matter. The 61-year-old Del Rio will assist both sides of the ball and be there for Badgers head coach Luke Fickell to bounce ideas off of as needed.

Del Rio had spent the last four seasons as the defensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders before being let go in November. He had spent over a decade as an NFL coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars and then the Oakland Raiders, compiling a 93-94 record.

A former standout linebacker at USC who is in the Trojans Hall of Fame, Del Rio played 11 seasons in the NFL and made the Pro Bowl in 1994. In addition to running Washington’s defense, he has also served as the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers. Del Rio worked as a linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens and the New Orleans Saints, where he initially started as an assistant strength coach.

This summer, Del Rio visited several college football programs, including Wisconsin, and Washington, where his son, Luke, is on staff. The Badgers went 7-6 last year in their first season under Fickell.

Required reading

(Photo: Brad Mills / USA Today)