Former NFL head coach Dick Jauron, who led both the Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills, passed away on Saturday at the age of 74. The Chicago Bears organization confirmed his passing. Jauron had been battling cancer, according to reports from The Daily Item in Massachusetts.

Jauron's NFL coaching career spanned several teams and roles. He helmed the Bears from 1999 to 2003 and later took the reins of the Bills from 2006 to 2009. Following his time in Buffalo, he served as the defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles under Andy Reid in 2010. Coincidentally, Reid and the Eagles are set to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX this Sunday.

Before entering the coaching ranks, Jauron showcased his athletic prowess as a two-sport athlete at Yale University in the early 1970s. He was drafted by both the Detroit Lions (NFL) and the St. Louis Cardinals (MLB). Choosing football, he played defensive back for five seasons with the Lions and three with the Cincinnati Bengals, retiring in 1980.

His coaching journey began a few years later, starting with the Bills as a defensive backs coach. He then honed his skills in Green Bay, where he formed a friendship with Andy Reid. Jauron's time with the Bears saw him achieve one winning season in five years, clinching the NFC North title in 2001 before losing to Reid's Eagles in the playoffs. His overall head coaching record stands at 60-82 with one playoff appearance.

Jauron's passing comes shortly after the Bears announced the death of Virginia Halas McCaskey, the team's longtime owner and daughter of George Halas.