Coached in 2021 for Matt Nagy

Former Bears inside linebackers coach Bill McGovern dies of cancer at age 60.

Bill McGovern, Bears inside linebackers coach under Matt Nagy in 2021, has died at the age of 60 following a battle with cancer.

McGovern had been working as UCLA defensive coordinator in 2022 after the Nagy coaching staff was let go but missed most of the second half of the season due to his health, according to the Associated Press.

While battling the illness, he had remained on the UCLA staff as director of football administration.

McGovern was hired by the Bears after the 2020 season after former inside linebackers coach Mark DeLeone was among a group of several assistants who left the staff after Chuck Pagano retired. DeLeone left the Bears for the Lions.

McGovern worked under defensive coordinator Sean Desai in his only Bears season. Prior to that he had been with the Giants as linebackers coach since January of 2016 and worked on the New York coaching staffs of Ben McAdoo and Pat Schurmur.

A long-time assistant at Boston College, McGovern served as defensive coordinator four years and linebackers coach nine years. At BC he coached Luke Kuechly and Mark Herzlich. He left the school in 2013 to coach with the Philadelphia Eagles as outside linebackers coach for Chip Kelly. It was Kelly's coaching staff with UCLA that he joined in 2021.

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