Dick Jauron, longtime coach and the 2001 AP NFL Head Coach of the Year, died Saturday.
He was 74.
Jauron, who spent eight total seasons as a head coach for the Bills and Bears, passed away after a short bout with cancer, according to a Facebook post from his daughter Kacy, who wrote he was “the very best son, brother, friend, teammate, husband, father, coach, HUMAN that we were all so lucky to love.”
Before his coaching career, Jauron spent eight seasons in the NFL, playing safety for the Lions and Bengals, making one Pro Bowl appearance in 1974.
In Chicago as a head coach, Jauron went 35-45, winning Coach of the Year in 2001 after leading the Bears to a 13-3 record before falling to the Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs.
As the Bills’ head coach, he went 24-33.
“I was very fortunate to start my NFL career with Dick Jauron as my first head coach,” former Bills center Eric Wood said, according to the team’s website. “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.”
He also served as the interim head coach for the Lions in 2005, going 1-4.
During his last NFL stint, Jauron served as the defensive coordinator for the Browns in 2011-12.
Jauron grew up in Massachusetts and played college football at Yale, making the All-America first team as a running back.
His passing comes just days after Bears owner Virginia McCaskey died at the age of 102.
