Dick Jauron, a former NFL player and head coach, has died. He was 74.
He had been dealing with cancer for a short time before his death on the morning of Saturday, Feb. 8, NBC Sports reported, citing the Massachusetts newspaper The Daily Item.
His former coaching team, the Chicago Bears, announced his death in an Instagram post.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Bears head coach Dick Jauron. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family 💙,” they captioned a photo of the late coach.
Jauron applauding as his defensive unit leaves the field in the second quarter against the New England Patriots in 2006.
Charles Krupa/ AP Photo
According to the Green Bay Packers, one of his daughters confirmed Jauron had been diagnosed with brain cancer that spread to other areas of his body in recent weeks.
The longtime coach began his sports career playing both football and baseball at Yale University. In the early 1970s, he was drafted into the NFL by the Detroit Lions and in Major League Baseball by the St. Louis Cardinals, per Associated Press.
Jauron played five seasons as a defensive back with the Lions and then three with the Cincinnati Eagles, before retiring in 1980. Five years later, he was hired as a defensive backs coach by the Buffalo Bills and later coached the Green Bay Packers, per AP.
In 1995, Juaron became the defensive coordinator for the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars before eventually securing the head coach position for the Bears, leading the team to win the NFC North in 2001. That same year, he was named the AP Coach of the Year as the Bears’ head coach, per AP.
Juaron, coach of the Buffalo Bills, on the field at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina in 2009.
Grant Halverson/Getty
In 2003, Jauron was fired as coach and became the defensive coordinator in Detroit, acting as the interim coach for five games in 2005. He then served as the Buffalo Bills’ head coach from 2006 to 2009 and finished with a 60-82 record, per ESPN.
Eric Wood, former Bills center who was drafted by Jauron in 2009, said of the late coach, “[Jauron] set a great foundation for my career … 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,” per the Bills’ website.
Jauron watching the Cleveland Browns during an NFL game in 2011.
David Dermer/Diamond Images/Getty
For the 2011—2012 seasons, Jauron was the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns.
The team shared a tribute on X, writing, “We’re saddened to learn of the passing of longtime NFL coach Dick Jauron, who served as our defensive coordinator for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
Jauron is survived by his two daughters Kay and Amy, per The New York Times.
