Dick Jauron
From Sports Library
Richard Manual Jauron (born October 7, 1950 in Peoria, Illinois) has been the head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League since January 23, 2006.
Jauron has held head coaching positions with the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, and was named the AP Coach of the Year in 2001 after leading the Bears to a 13-3 record.
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Playing career
Jauron played football, basketball, and baseball in high school at Swampscott, Massachusetts before attending Yale University. He was selected as one of the top 10 Massachusetts high school football players of the 20th century by The Boston Globe in 1999.
Jauron rushed for 2,947 yards at Yale, setting a school record that stood from 1973 to 2000, and was thrice named to the All-Ivy League First Team, the only Yale football athlete to be so honored. He still holds several school records, including a streak of 16 consecutive 100-yard rushing games. At Yale he was a member of Wolf's Head Society.
After graduating from college, Jauron was selected in the fourth round of the 1973 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He started at free safety as a rookie and was named to the 1974 Pro Bowl in his second season after leading the NFC in punt return average.
Jauron played with the Lions for five seasons (1973-1977) and the Cincinnati Bengals for three seasons (1978-1980) before a knee injury ended his career. He finished his playing career with 26 interceptions and two touchdowns.
Coaching career
National Football League
Assistant coach
Jauron began his coaching career in the NFL in 1985 as the Buffalo Bills defensive backs coach. He was offered the position by Bills defensive coordinator Hank Bullough, who was the Bengals defensive coordinator when Jauron was a player.
After one season with the Bills, Jauron was named the defensive backs coach for the Green Bay Packers and spent eight seasons (1986-1994) with the team.
Jauron became the defensive coordinator for the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995 at the invitation of then-Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin, whom he coached with at Green Bay. The Jaguars made the playoffs in three of the four seasons (1995-1998) Jauron coached, including an appearance in the 1996 AFC Championship Game.
Jauron served as the Lions defensive coordinator during the 2004 season and the first 11 games of the 2005 season before being named the team's interim head coach.
Head coach
Chicago Bears
Jauron became the 12th head coach in Chicago Bears history on January 23, 1999, when he was hired to replace Dave Wannstedt, who was fired after two consecutive 4-12 seasons. He coached the Bears for five seasons (1999-2003), finishing with a 35-45 regular season record.
In his first two seasons with the Bears, Chicago finished last in the NFC Central with 6-10 and 5-11 records.
Jauron, however, led the greatest turnaround in team history during his third season. Chicago finished 13-3 in an incredible 2001 campaign where the team went 8-0 in games decided by seven points or less, including back-to-back overtime victories. Jauron became the third coach in team history (George Halas, Mike Ditka) to record at least 13 wins in a season and was named the 2001 AP Coach of the Year.
After earning their first division title in 11 years, however, Chicago lost a home game to the Philadelphia Eagles, 33-19, in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. The Bears did not return to the playoffs under Jauron, finishing 4-12 and 7-9 in his last two seasons with the team. He was fired by the Bears after the 2003 season and replaced by current head coach Lovie Smith.
Detroit Lions
Jauron was promoted from defensive coordinator to interim head coach of the Lions on November 28, 2005, after the mid-season firing of head coach Steve Mariucci. Detroit was 4-7 when Jauron took over and won only one of their last five games, finishing the season 5-11. Although Jauron was one of many candidates who interviewed for the head coaching position after the season, he was passed over for Rod Marinelli.
Buffalo Bills
Jauron was named the 14th head coach in Buffalo Bills history on Jan 23, 2006, following the resignation of Mike Mularkey. The Bills finished 7-9 and finished third in the AFC East in their first season under Jauron.
Head coaching record
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| CHI | 1999 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 5th in NFC Central | - | - | - | - |
| CHI | 2000 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 5th in NFC Central | - | - | - | - |
| CHI | 2001 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in NFC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Philadelphia Eagles in Divisional Round. |
| CHI | 2002 | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 3rd in NFC North | - | - | - | - |
| CHI | 2003 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3rd in NFC North | - | - | - | - |
| Bears' Total | 35 | 45 | 0 | .438 | 0 | 1 | .000 | - | ||
| DET* | 2005 | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 3rd in NFC North | - | - | - | - |
| Lions' Total | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | - | - | - | - | ||
| BUF | 2006 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3rd in AFC East | - | - | - | - |
| Bills' Total | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | - | - | - | - | ||
| Total | 43 | 48 | 0 | .473 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |||
*Interim head coach
External links
| Preceded by Dave Wannstedt |
Chicago Bears Head Coaches 1999–2003 |
Succeeded by Lovie Smith |
| Decatur Staleys/Chicago Bears Head Coaches |
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