Wisconsin hires Mark D’Onofrio as inside linebackers coach

June 10, 2022 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin has hired Mark D’Onofrio as inside linebackers coach to fill a spot that opened when Bill Sheridan resigned amid an NCAA investigation into potential rule violations at Air Force.

D’Onofrio hasn’t coached since 2018 but is a former defensive coordinator at Temple, Miami and most recently at Houston.

“As a coach, and as a fan of college football, I’ve admired the culture at Wisconsin for a long time,” D’Onofrio said in a statement released by the university. “This is a place that fits who I am as a football coach.”

The Green Bay Packers selected D’Onofrio out of Penn State in the second round of the 1992 draft, but he played only one season due to injuries. He was a defensive coordinator on Al Golden’s staffs at Temple and Miami before working at Houston from 2017-18.

He also had assistant coaching stints at Georgia, Rutgers and Virginia.

“Mark’s an excellent fit for our staff personally and philosophically,” Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said in a statement. “I can’t wait for him to be able to get around our players and I’m excited about their opportunity to learn from him.”

Wisconsin hired Sheridan as inside linebackers coach on Feb. 22 after he spent two years as Air Force’s defensive line coach, but he resigned less than three months later.

The NCAA is investigating Sheridan and three other former Air Force assistants for potential rules violations.

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