Bear Digest

Dick Jauron, Chicago Bears coach from 1999-2003, dies at age 74

Jauron coached the Bears, Lions and Bills, was 2001 NFL coach of the year and was a Pro Bowl safety for Detroit.

Gene Chamberlain

Dick Jauron returned to Soldier Field in 2006 as Bills coach to face the coach who replaced him and was headed to the Super Bowl, Lovie Smith.
Dick Jauron returned to Soldier Field in 2006 as Bills coach to face the coach who replaced him and was headed to the Super Bowl, Lovie Smith. / Jerry Lai-Imagn Images
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Former Bears coach Dick Jauron, the 2001 coach of the year, has died at the age of 74.

Jauron died of cancer early Saturday morning. With his death, the Bears world lost one of its more decent, unassuming personalities ever—especially among coaches.

The Peoria native coached the Bears from 1999-2003 as their second-choice candidate. The late Michael McCaskey had wanted to hire former Bears linebackers coach Dave McGinnis and made it public he had hired him. But McGinnis had never agreed to a deal and rejected the team president's terms, before leaving Chicago to go back to Arizona unsigned. So Jauron took the job when offered.

Jauron, a former Pro Bowl safety for the Lions, and the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator, coached the Bears to seasons of 6-10, 5-11 but then the division title at 13-3 in 2001. They then went 4-12 and 7-9. He was fired by GM Jerry Angelo after the 2003 season and even gave a parting speech, which is entirely uncommon in the NFL. At it, he closed by thanking the McCaskeys for the opportunity and also expressing gratitude he didn't have to answer media questions any more.

A stoic personality, Jauron's unassuming and respectful nature was best described by a story from training camp the year after division title.

Players and coaches were entering the team's dining hall and a very young college student was manning the front door to the Olivet Nazarene University facility to check passes. The one person the college student picked out of everyone to hassle was Jauron.

Jauron had left his pass at his room but the head coach is easily among the most recognizable figures in training camp. The young guard stood his ground. Instead of pushing past or causing a ruckus, or even asking someone to vouch for him, Jauron went back to his golf cart, drove back to his room and got the pass.

Jauron's time as coach was plagued by constant criticism of his second offensive coordinator, John Shoop. The first offensive coordinator, Gary Crowton, had resigned late in his first season to become BYU head coach.

Jauron's Bears teams were saddled with quarterback issues, chiefly first-round pick Cade McNown's failure, and turned to journeymen Shane Matthews and Jim Miller to achieve one season of success.

It was a popular thought that Jauron defended Shoop and his struggling offense, then lost his job because of it. However, there was no way Angelo was going to keep a head coach hired before he became GM, especially after four losing seasons in five. The Bears then hired Lovie Smith after the Jauron era ended.

Jauron, a Yale grad, was a Packers and Bills defensive backs coach prior to becoming a head coach. He went on to coach the Detroit Lions as an interim coach to a 1-4 record in 2005, then was Bills coach for three straight 7-9 seasons before being fired in a 3-6 2009 season.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.