Former Detroit Lions safety and head coach Dick Jauron has died, the Buffalo Bills announced Saturday. Jauron battled cancer. He was 74 years old.
Jauron was the head coach of the Chicago Bears, Lions (interim) and Buffalo Bills. His teams went 60-82 across 10 seasons.
“The Detroit Lions join the NFL community in mourning the passing of Dick Jauron,” the team wrote on social media.
Jauron was a fourth-round pick from Yale by the Lions in the 1973 NFL draft. He spent his first five seasons in Detroit, finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting after picking off four passes and recovering five fumbles. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in his second season. He played for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1978-80.
In his eight-year NFL career, Jauron played in 100 games (80) starts, making 25 interceptions with two returned for scores, 15 fumble recoveries and four sacks, according to Pro Football Reference.
Jauron then transitioned to coaching and started in the NFL in 1985 as Bills defensive backs coach.
He became head coach of the Bears in 1999, and his lone winning season as a head coach came in 2001 when he led Chicago to a 13-3 record in his third season and won AP Coach of the Year. He was fired after the 2003 season (35-45 record) and replaced by Lovie Smith.
The Lions went 1-4 in 2005 after Jauron, the defensive coordinator, took over when the team fired Steve Mariucci. He was hired as Bills head coach in 2006. He was fired midseason in 2009, posting a 24-33 record there.
He last job in the NFL came with the Cleveland Browns as defensive coordinator for two seasons from 2011-12.
