DEL RIO TO LEAD PARIS IN EUROPEAN LEAGUE

Craig Llewellyn World Football

The Paris Musketeers have announced that former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio will take up the same position with the French organisation heading into the 2025 European League of Football season.

Del Rio brings more than 30 years of NFL coaching and a wealth of knowledge, leadership and championship-calibre experience to the Musketeers’ sideline. His distinguished career includes head coaching tenures with the Jacksonville Jaguars (11 years) and Oakland Raiders (four years), as well as defensive coordinator stints with both the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders, where he earned respect for his defensive expertise, strong leadership and ability to develop top-tier talent. He also earned a Super Bowl ring as the linebackers coach with Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens in 1999.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome coach Del Rio to Paris,” said Musketeers CEO John McKeon. “His commitment to excellence and his passion for teaching the game will build upon the tone and culture that was set by our first coach, Marc Mattioli. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the Musketeers family and continue building our winning tradition.”

Del Rio first came to fame as an All-American Linebacker at USC, which led to the New Orleans Saints selecting him in the third round in the 1985 NFL Draft. He played in the NFL for a decade, including stints in Kansas City, Dallas and Minnesota, leading the Vikings in tackles for three consecutive years and earning a Pro Bowl nomination in 1995.

Since retiring from action on the gridiron, Del Rio has built an impressive NFL coaching resumé that includes multiple playoff appearances and a reputation for constructing elite defenses. He won 68 regular season games with the Jaguars and, in 2016, led the Oakland Raiders to a 12-4 season and a first playoff appearance in 14 years. That sort of experience is seen as invaluable as the Musketeers continue to establish themselves as one of Europe’s premier franchises.

“I’m looking forward to working with this group of men,” Del Rio said following confirmation of his appointment. “We will teach, develop, and compete.”

The Musketeers open the season on May 17th, in Paris, against the two-time defending champions Rhein Fire, themselves led by another former NFL head coach in Jim Tomsula.