Jack Del Rio Named Head Coach of Paris Musketeers for 2025 Season

PARIS, France — The Paris Musketeers of the European League of Football (ELF) announced Friday the hiring of Jack Del Rio as their new head coach for the 2025 season. The 61-year-old NFL veteran brings over three decades of experience as both a player and coach to the French franchise.

Del Rio, who previously served as head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders, will take over the Musketeers following a brief stint as a senior assistant for an unnamed team. His appointment comes after former head coach Marc Mattioli stepped down to become a defensive coordinator elsewhere.

“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Del Rio to Paris,” said Musketeers CEO John McKeon in a press release. “His commitment to excellence and passion for teaching the game will build on the foundation laid by Coach Mattioli. We couldn’t be more excited to have him join the Musketeers family and continue our tradition of success.”

Del Rio’s coaching career includes 12 seasons as an NFL head coach, compiling a 93-94 record and leading teams to three playoff appearances. He also won a Super Bowl as the linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens in 2000. Most recently, he served as defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders from 2020 to 2023.

As a player, Del Rio was a standout linebacker, earning All-American honors at USC and playing 10 seasons in the NFL, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1994.

The Paris Musketeers, part of the 17-team ELF, finished the 2024 season with a 10-2 record before falling in the playoff semifinals. The league, which began play in 2021, features teams from nine European countries, including Austria, Germany, and Spain.

Del Rio’s hiring comes after a challenging period in his career. In November 2024, he resigned from his senior assistant role following an arrest for operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Madison, Wisconsin. The Musketeers organization expressed confidence in his ability to lead the team forward, citing his extensive experience and proven track record.