Dick Jauron, 74, was born in Peoria and led the Chicago Bears to the NFL playoffs in 2001. His father, Bob, was Peoria Manual’s football coach in the 1950s and told his players before an important road game that he would name his son after the team if they won. The Rams won that game, and Dick Jauron’s middle name became Manual.
He was Bears head coach from 1999 to 2003. Jauron won Coach of the Year in the NFL in 2001 after leading the Bears to a 13-3 record and a division title. Later, Jauron would become interim head coach of the Lions in 2005 and head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2006-09. Most recently, Jauron was defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Brown in 2011-12. The Bears released the following statement on Saturday:
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Coach Jauron and his family. A class act and true Illinois native, Dick took great pride in representing our state, his family and proud Bears fans. On the field, his leadership guided our Bears to a division title in 2001, as he honorably earned AP NFL Coach of the Year recognition. We extend our deepest sympathies to Coach Jauron’s loved ones and our sincerest condolences to all who were honored to call him Coach.”
Jauron was born in Peoria on Oct. 7, 1050, but attended grammar school in Rensselaer, Indiana and moved with his family to Massachusetts. He is survived by his wife, Gail, and a daughter, Kacy. His daughter, Amy, died in 2014 at the age of 28. You can watch 25News – any newscast, anywhere – streaming LIVE on 25NewsNow.com, our 25News mobile app, and on our WEEK 25News SmartTV streaming app. Learn more about how you can get connected to 25News streaming live news
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