Dick Jauron, who coached the Chicago Bears to success at the turn of the century, has died at age 74. The Daily Item in Massachusetts reported that Jauron — a Swampscott, Massachusetts, native — had cancer, and died Saturday morning.
The Buffalo Bills, who Jauron led as head coach from 2006-2009, confirmed the news on Saturday. In a statement, Pro Bowl center Eric Wood, who Jauron drafted during his final year as Buffalo’s coach, called Jauron “a sincere and thoughtful family man and a true gentleman.”
“I was very fortunate to start my NFL career with Dick Jauron as my first head coach,” Wood said in the statement. “He set a great foundation for my career with his extensive knowledge of the NFL game and helped us develop as professionals both on and off the field.”
Jauron held multiple coaching roles in the NFL, including a stint with the Bears from 1999-2003. He won AP Coach of the Year in 2001 after leading the Bears to a 13-3 regular-season record and finishing in first place in the NFC Central. Chicago went on to lose to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC divisional round.
Jauron played running back at Yale before an eight-year career in the NFL, where he played safety for the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1974 during his time in Detroit. Jauron then moved on to coaching, starting as a defensive backs coach for the Bills and the Green Bay Packers before becoming the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive coordinator in 1995.
In 1999, Jauron became the Bears’ 12th head coach after the team failed to get Dave McGinnis to agree to the position. Jauron had one winning season across five years with Chicago. After going 4-12 and 7-9 in his final two years, Jauron was fired by the Bears and replaced by Lovie Smith.
Jauron pivoted to the Lions, taking over as defensive coordinator and serving one year as interim head coach. He was then hired as head coach of the Bills, leading the team to three straight 7-9 seasons. Jauron was fired midseason in 2009 after a 3-6 start.
Jauron’s final NFL job was as the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator in 2012; he was not kept on after Robert Chudzinski was hired in 2013.
Jauron, best known for his years with Chicago, finished his time with the Bears with a 35-45 record. But his legacy remained with the team after he was fired: During his final season, Jauron was part of the regime that selected standout cornerback Charles Tillman and seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs as part of the 2003 NFL Draft.
