Jack Del Rio has been named the Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders.
With Del Rio set to lead the Silver and Black in 2015, let's get to know a little more about the new head coach of the Oakland Raiders.
He's a Bay Area Native
Del Rio was born in Castro Valley and attended Hayward High School where he was a three-sport athlete for the Farmers. He was selected in the 1981 amateur baseball draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, but instead elected to attend the University of Southern California where he played both football and baseball for the Trojans. He will be inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.
During his time in Los Angeles, he was teammates with Mark McGwire and Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, as well as current Kansas City Royals bench coach, Don Wakamatsu.
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A look at new Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio's football career.
USC linebacker (1981-84)
NFL linebacker (1985-95)
Named to the 1994 Pro Bowl.
Baltimore Ravens Linebackers Coach (1999-2001)
Carolina Panthers Defensive Coordinator (2002)
Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach (2003-11)
Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator (2012-14)
He Played in the NFL**
After an impressive collegiate career at USC where he earned All-America honors as a linebacker in 1985, Del Rio was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 1985 NFL Draft. He played 11 years in the NFL, recording 13 interceptions and 941 total tackles, as well as being named to the 1994 Pro Bowl as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
He Has Found Previous Coaching Success
Del Rio began his coaching career as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the New Orleans Saints in 1997. He was hired by the Baltimore Ravens in 1991 and served as the Linebackers Coach when the team defeated the New York Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV. Del Rio tutored a talented group in Baltimore that included Peter Boulware, Ray Lewis and Jamie Sharper. He also led the Jacksonville Jaguars to two playoff berths (2005, 2007) during his time as their head coach.
His career record as a head coach is 68-71.
He Comes From a Defensive Background
Del Rio rose through the coaching ranks on the defensive side of the ball and spent the past three seasons as the Defensive Coordinator of the Denver Broncos.
In 2014, the Broncos only allowed 305.2 yards per game, which ranked third in the NFL.
Denver won the AFC West all three seasons Del Rio was the Defensive Coordinator, and also advanced to Super Bowl XLVIII.
