It didn’t take long for former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio to land on his feet.
Del Rio, who was fired by the Jaguars in November, has been hired as the new defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos, replacing Dennis Allen, who left the Broncos to become the new head coach of the Oakland Raiders.
Del Rio reunites with Broncos head coach John Fox. Del Rio served as Fox’s defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers in 2002, where he took a defense that ranked 31st in the NFL in 2001, to being the 2nd-ranked defense in the league in 2002. Del Rio parlayed that success into a head coaching job of his own, being hired by the Jaguars in 2003.
Fox released the following statement Friday night:
“We are thrilled to be able to add such a well-respected defensive coach to our staff. He (Del Rio) was an integral part of our turnaround on defense during my first year with the Panthers in 2002. His defenses with the Jaguars have ranked among the NFL’s best, and we are excited he’s a Bronco.”
Del Rio, 48, compiled a 68-71 record as head coach of the Jaguars. In Denver, he inherits a defense that ranked 20th in the NFL in 2011, but has four players (cornerback Champ Bailey, linebacker Von Miller, defensive end Elvis Dumervil and safety Brian Dawkins) who are representing the Broncos in Sunday’s Pro Bowl.
The hiring of Del Rio does help the Jaguars from a financial standpoint. Del Rio, who was under contract through 2012, was owed $5 million from the Jaguars under that contract. By taking the position with the Broncos, the Jaguars now owe him only the difference between that total and his salary in Denver.
