Photo by Mark Campbell

NEWARK, Del. -- University of Delaware associate head football coach Ben Albert (at right), who has served as the Blue Hens’ linebacker coach for the past four seasons, has announced his resignation from the UD staff to take a position with the National Football League’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

Albert, 38, will join head coach Jack Del Rio’s staff at Jacksonville as assistant defensive line coach. He will work with new defensive line coach Joe Cullen, who like Albert is a former University of Massachusetts standout. The Jaguars posted a record of 7-9 this past season when they ranked last in the NFL with a franchise-low 14 sacks. Jacksonville will be looking to post its first winning record since the 2007 season when the team advanced to the divisional playoffs.

A search is currently underway to replace Albert at Delaware. The Blue Hens will open spring practice March 19 with the spring game scheduled for Apr. 23.

During his four seasons at Delaware, Albert helped the Blue Hens post a cumulative record of 26-24, including an 11-4 mark in 2007 when Delaware advanced to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision national championship game. The Hens were also named the ECAC Team of the Year and earned the Lambert Cup Trophy as the top FCS team in the East.

A former standout defensive lineman at the University of Massachusetts, Albert served as a college assistant coach for 15 seasons, including 13 within the Yankee Conference, Atlantic 10 Conference, and Colonial Athletic Association. He was a part of four conference title teams during his career as a player and coach. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Massachusetts.

A native of Paterson, N.J. where he was a standout at Passaic Tech High School, Albert enjoyed an outstanding playing career as a nose guard and defensive tackle at the University of Massachusetts in 1990-94. He was a freshman in 1990 when the Minutemen captured the Yankee Conference title and advanced to the NCAA I-AA tournament under head coach Jim Reid. He also played three seasons for coach Mike Hodges, leading the squad to a 9-2 mark in 1993.

He earned first team All-Yankee Conference and All-East honors as a senior in 1994 when he served as team co-captain and led a defense that ranked 13th nationally in total defense. For his career, Albert registered 189 tackles (109 solo) and 14 sacks.

Albert began his coaching career at UMass in 1995 and worked two years, serving as defensive line coach and academic resource coordinator under Hodges. He moved on to the University of Richmond where he served as linebackers and defensive line coach in 1997-00 under Reid. The Spiders won Atlantic 10 titles and advanced to the NCAA I-AA tournament in 1998 and 2000 and annually ranked among the top defensive units in the league. He moved to the NCAA I-A level in 2001 where he was the defensive line coach at Rutgers University under head coach Greg Schiano.

Albert returned to his alma mater in 2002-03 and worked under head coach Mark Whipple as inside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator for two seasons. He led the Minutemen to a share of the Atlantic 10 title, along with Delaware, and an NCAA playoff berth. He then returned to Richmond and coached the 2004 season as defensive line coach and special teams coordinator for head coach Dave Clawson.

In addition to his college coaching career, Albert also worked as a minority fellowship intern with the National Football League’s Oakland Raiders in the summer of 1999.