Jack Del Rio is the newest head coach of the Silver and Black. According to multiple reports, including ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Oakland Raiders and Del Rio agreed to a deal Wednesday afternoon.
Oakland Raiders now have hired HC Jack Del Rio, as @mortreport reported they would.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2015
Del Rio spent the past three seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos.
Broncos defensive ranks under Jack Del Rio (2012-14):
PPG 10th
Total YPG 3rd
Def effic 5th
Total QBR 1st— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 14, 2015
Before Denver, Del Rio was the head coach in Jacksonville for nine seasons (2003-2011). NFL.com notes that Del Rio went 68-71 in Jacksonville while leading the Jaguars to a pair of playoff appearances.
Del Rio played the final four seasons of his NFL career with the Vikings (1992-1995). According to Vikings.com, he led the team in tackles three consecutive seasons (1992-1994) and he racked up 10 interceptions, 7.5 sacks and 440 tackles. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel /Allsport)
Perhaps the most exciting Del Rio story to be told occurred in 2003 – Del Rio’s first season coaching the Jaguars. It involves a punter and and ax. Here’s the breakdown from Deadspin.
“When rookie coach Jack Del Rio placed a stump of oak and an ax in the Jacksonville Jaguars locker room a few weeks ago as a motivational technique, symbolic of his theme to “keep choppin’ wood,” it was viewed as a sophomoric technique by some veterans.
Now the move is likely to be regarded as a huge mistake.
The Jaguars on Thursday lost Pro Bowl punter Chris Hanson for an undetermined amount of time — ESPN.com has learned that he will be sidelined 4-6 weeks [Ed note: he would miss the rest of the season] — when the fourth-year veteran was accidentally gashed on his right (non-kicking foot) while wielding the ax.
Hanson, 26, was taken to a local hospital for what Del Rio before practice termed “a gash of some sort.” As it turned out, the injury was severe enough to require surgery.
[…]
[Said Del Rio: “I’ll find another slogan. The message was understood. The thing was on its way out soon, but not soon enough. It was symbolic more than anything else.”]”
Del Rio in Oakland? Sounds like a perfect fit.
