Dick Jauron, a former coach for the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears, died Saturday at the age of 74.
Jauron died after a battle with cancer, his daughter Kacy, announced in a Facebook post.
“What we thought was some early signs of memory issues turned quickly into cancer in his brain, specifically a tumor that was causing some very out of character behavior,” she wrote. “They quickly did a scan of his body and unfortunately they found cancer in his lungs, liver, and bones.”
“The silver lining in all of this is that the situation escalated so quickly he never had any idea what was going on nor was he in any pain,” she continued.
Jauron spent eight seasons playing in the NFL before jump starting his coaching career. He played safety for the Bengals and Lions, making a Pro Bowl appearance in 1974, according to the New York Post.
Head Coach Dick Jauron of the Chicago Bears during a 17 to 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on 09/09/2001. (Photo by Bill Smith/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
“The Detroit Lions join the NFL community in mourning the passing of Dick Jauron,” the Lions said in a post on X. (RELATED: Detroit Lions Hall Of Famer Joe Schmidt Dies At 92).
The Detroit Lions join the NFL community in mourning the passing of Dick Jauron.
Originally drafted by Detroit in 1973, Jauron enjoyed a five-year playing career as a standout defensive back with the Lions that included a Pro Bowl selection in 1974. He returned to the franchise… pic.twitter.com/LIPtaDeABB
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) February 8, 2025
He was drafted by the Lions in 1973 and spent five years playing with the team. He returned as a defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2005 and later served as the interim head coach to end the 2005 season.
Jauron won Coach of the Year in 2001 after leading the Bears to a 13-3 record before losing to the Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs, the Post reported. He then coached the Bills from 2006 to 2009.
“I was very fortunate to start my NFL career with Dick Jauron as my first head coach,” Eric Wood, a former Bills center drafted by Jauron in the first round of the 2009 draft, 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’s passing comes just two days after the death of Bears owner Virginia McCaskey who died at age 102.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
