Former NFL player and coach Dick Jauron, renowned for leading the Chicago Bears to the playoffs and earning the AP Coach of the Year title in 2001, has passed away at the age of 74.
The Bears organization confirmed his death, which occurred just one day prior to the Super Bowl matchup in New Orleans featuring the Philadelphia Eagles, a team Jauron had briefly worked with as an assistant to current Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
Jauron was a standout athlete at Yale in the early 1970s, where he excelled in both football and baseball. He was selected in the NFL draft by the Detroit Lions and also by the St. Louis Cardinals during the MLB amateur draft. Ultimately, he chose to pursue a career in football, spending five seasons as a defensive back for the Lions followed by three additional seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before retiring in 1980.
Transitioning to coaching in 1985, Jauron quickly made a name for himself. Five years later, he landed a position with the Buffalo Bills as the defensive backs coach. He also coached defensive backs in Green Bay, forging a friendship with Reid, who was working as an assistant for the offensive line and tight ends at that time.
In 1995, Jauron was appointed as the defensive coordinator for the newly-formed Jacksonville Jaguars under head coach Tom Coughlin. His successful tenure there led to him being named head coach of the Chicago Bears. During his five-year stint with the Bears, Jauron led the team to the NFC North title in 2001, although his team fell to the Eagles, coached by Reid, in the divisional playoff round.
Despite having only one winning season, Jauron remained a well-respected figure in the NFL. He was let go in 2003 and took up the role of defensive coordinator in Detroit, where he also served as interim head coach for five games in 2005. He later became the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for four seasons, but struggled to achieve a winning record during his time there.
Jauron’s overall coaching record stands at 60 wins and 82 losses, with just one playoff appearance spread over ten seasons.
His passing follows shortly after the Bears announced the death of Virginia Halas McCaskey, the team’s principal owner who inherited the franchise from her father, George Halas. She lived to be 102 years old.
