Dick Jauron, the former coach of the Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills, died Saturday at 74.
Jauron started his head-coaching career in 1999 with the Bears and won AP Coach of the Year in 2001 after leading the team to a 13-3 record. Chicago finished first in the NFC Central but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC divisional round.
The Bears followed up that memorable season by going 4-12 and 7-9 the next two campaigns, promoting the franchise to fire Jauron after the 2003 season and hire Lovie Smith. Jauron finished with a 35-45 record in Chicago.
He then went to the Detroit Lions, one of the teams he played for during his eight-year career as a defensive back, and served as their defensive coordinator. The Lions promoted Jauron to interim head coach in 2005 for the final five games after Detroit fired Steve Mariucci.
From there, he coached the Bills for four seasons (2006-09) and led the team to three straight 7-9 seasons. Buffalo fired Jauron after Week 10 amid a 3-6 start in 2009.
Jauron’s last job in the NFL came as the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator in 2011-12.
We’re saddened to learn about the passing of former Head Coach Dick Jauron. ❤️💙
We are thinking of his friends, family, and loved ones during this difficult time: https://t.co/EkWBaJJ9yE pic.twitter.com/JIg6Y1qTDA
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) February 8, 2025
“I was very fortunate to start my NFL career with Dick Jauron as my first head coach,” Eric Wood, a former Bills center who Jauron drafted in the first round in 2009, said in a 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.
“Coach Jauron was a sincere and thoughtful family man and a true gentleman. My heart goes out to his family during this difficult time.”
Jauron, a native of Swampscott, Mass., had a standout college career as a running back at Yale before playing defensive back in the NFL. He split his time with the Lions (1973-77) and Cincinnati Bengals (1978-80) and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 1974 after leading the NFC in punt return average with Detroit.
Jauron was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
Jauron’s legacy with the Bears
The Bears have won at least 13 times in a season only five times in their history, and one of those was under Jauron. The 13-3 Bears had a magical season, including back-to-back wins in overtime, each ending on a pick-six from safety Mike Brown. No one expected much of anything from that team, yet it turned out to be one of the franchise’s most memorable.
The Bears had to play their home games in Champaign in 2002, a disadvantage they couldn’t overcome. Jauron’s final season with the Bears came the next year. — Kevin Fishbain, Bears senior writer
(Photo: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
