Windy City Gridiron
Jauron was named the 2001 NFL Coach of the Year during his time with the Bears.
Former Bears head coach Dick Jauron passed away early Saturday morning, Joey Barrett of The Daily Item reported on Saturday. Jauron was 74 years old.
Jauron was hired as the 12th head coach in Bears franchise history on Jan. 23, 1999 after a successful four seasons as the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator. After going a combined 11-21 in his first two seasons as Chicago’s head coach, he led the team to a 13-3 season in 2001. They ended up winning what was then the NFC Central for the first time since 1994, and Jauron earned the AP NFL Head Coach of the Year award for that season.
Born in Peoria, Illinois in 1950, Jauron was a star football player in high school in Massachusetts. He played both football and baseball at Yale, finishing his time there as a three-time first-team All-Ivy League football player. Drafted into both the NFL and MLB, Jauron chose football upon his selection by the Lions in the fourth round of the 1973 NFL Draft.
As a starting safety and a star return specialist, Jauron spent eight seasons in the NFL amidst stints with the Lions and Bengals. He was named a Pro Bowler in 1974 for his abilities in the return game. After his playing career ended, he became a defensive backs coach for the Bills in 1985 before taking on the same role for the Packers in 1986, staying there until his 1995 promotion to become Jacksonville’s first defensive coordinator in franchise history.
Jauron spent five years as the Bears’ head coach, making the playoffs once and finishing with a record of 35-45 in that time. Upon his firing after the 2003 season, he became the Lions’ defensive coordinator for two seasons. He eventually made his way back into head coaching, serving as the Bills’ head coach from 2006-09 with a 24-33 record.
According to Barrett, Jauron had recently been diagnosed with cancer. He leaves behind his wife, Gail, and his two daughters, Kay and Amy.
