Dick Jauron Richard Manuel Jauron ( born October 7 , 1950 ) is a coach in the National Football League . He was the head coach for the Buffalo Bills from 2006 until November 2009 . Jauron has previously held head coaching positions with the Chicago Bears and , on an interim basis , with the Detroit Lions . Jauron was named the AP Coach of the Year in 2001 after leading the Bears to a 13 - 3 record , but this was his only winning season as a head coach in the NFL . Playing career . Early years . Jauron was born in Peoria , Illinois . He attended Swampscott High School in Swampscott , Massachusetts , and was a letterman in football , basketball , and baseball . In football , he was a Parade All - American selection as a senior , and was featured in the November 1968 issue of Sport magazine as Teenage Athlete Of The Month . He has been honored as one of the top ten all - time Massachusetts high school football players by the Boston Globe . College . Jauron rushed for 2 , 947 yards in three seasons , freshmen weren ' t eligible for the varsity in the 1970s , at Yale , a record that stood until 2000 , and was three times named to the All - Ivy League First Team , the first Yale football athlete to be so honored . His school - record streak of 16 consecutive 100 - yard rushing games was not broken until 2006 . Jauron was awarded the Nils V . " Swede " Nelson Award for sportsmanship following his junior season and the Bulger Lowe Award , given to the best Division I - A / I - AA player in New England , after his senior season . Professional . After graduating from college , Jauron was selected in the fourth round of the 1973 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions . He was also drafted as a shortstop by baseball ' s St . Louis Cardinals in the 25th round of the 1973 MLB Draft . Jauron chose the NFL , and started at free safety as a rookie for the Lions . He 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 ) . He finished his playing career with 25 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 . He worked with the team for eight seasons , serving under three different head coaches : Forrest Gregg , Lindy Infante , and Mike Holmgren . 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 Jauron ' s four seasons with the team , including an appearance in the 1996 AFC Championship Game . Following his first head - coaching job , Jauron served as the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions in 2004 and the first 11 games of the 2005 season before being named the team ' s interim 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 . Jauron coached the Bears for five seasons ( 1999 – 2003 ) , finishing with a 35 – 45 regular season record and one playoff appearance . In his first two seasons , the Bears 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 . In their 13 - 3 2001 campaign , Chicago finished 8 - 0 in games decided by seven points or less , including back - to - back overtime victories . Jauron was named the 2001 AP Coach of the Year and became the third coach in team history to record at least 13 wins in a season , joining George Halas and Mike Ditka . Former Bears head coach Lovie Smith joined that group following the Bears ' 13 - 3 regular season in 2006 . 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 Lovie Smith . Detroit Lions . Jauron was then hired by the Detroit Lions as a defensive coordinator . He was promoted to interim head coach of the Lions on November 28 , 2005 , after the mid - season firing of 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 January 23 , 2006 , following the resignation of Mike Mularkey . He led the Bills to three consecutive 7 - 9 records , finishing respectively third , second and fourth in the AFC East . In 2008 the team started 5 - 1 , but ended the season on a 2 - 8 skid . Bills owner Ralph Wilson announced on December 30 , 2008 , that Jauron would be brought back for the 2009 season despite the expiration of his three - year contract . On the morning of Friday , September 4 , 2009 , Jauron fired his offensive coordinator , Turk Schonert , in a morning meeting before the regular season began . Two different viewpoints emerged , Jauron stating in a press conference the reason for his firing was a " lack of productivity " , while Schonert claimed that Jauron told him that he " had too many formations , too many plays " , and that he " didn ' t simplify it to his liking . " Schonert was replaced the same day by former Buffalo Bills quarterback and then quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt . After taking over , Van Pelt brought back the no - huddle offense , in the form of Jim Kelly ' s " K - Gun " offense that led the team to four straight Super Bowls in the 1990s . Due to the declining performance of the Bills and despite player support for Jauron , many Buffalo fans wanted to see the removal of the coach . By using social networking sites such as Facebook , many fans raised money for a digital billboard reading " It ' s Time to Clean House , Ralph " on the I - 190 extension of the I - 90 thruway to Buffalo . On November 17 , 2009 , Jauron was relieved of his coaching duties by the Buffalo Bills as announced by owner Ralph Wilson . Philadelphia Eagles . On February 2 , 2010 , Jauron was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles as a senior assistant and defensive backs coach . Cleveland Browns . On January 21 , 2011 , Jauron was named Defensive Coordinator by the Cleveland Browns . He replaced Rob Ryan , who then became the Defensive Coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys . On January 18 , 2013 , newly hired head coach Rob Chudzinski hired Ray Horton instead of keeping Jauron . Head coaching record . Coaching tree . NFL head coaches under whom Dick Jauron has served : " Following first head - coaching job " Assistant coaches under Dick Jauron who became NFL head coaches :