The amazing journey: what kind of a leader was Chicago's Dick Jauron? He engineered one of the greatest turnarounds in recent NFL history - Coach of the Year

Football Digest, April, 2002 by Larry Mayer

COACH OF THE YEAR? WHO would have figured? A lot of people around the league thought Dick Jauron simply would be lucky to have a job by the end of the 2001 season.

But pro football is a funny business these days. Rags-to-riches stories have become commonplace in the era of free agency and the salary cap, and Jauron added another one to the book, transforming the Chicago Bears from perennial losers into Super Bowl contenders. During an unforgettable season of magical moments and miraculous comebacks, Jauron led the Bears to a 13-3 record and their first NFC Central championship since 1990.

He also achieved the greatest single-season turnaround in the franchise's storied 82-year history. The Bears had never improved by more than five victories from one season to the next, but they made an eight-game leap in 2001.

For those reasons, Jauron is FOOTBALL DIGEST's 2001 Coach of the Year. He barely beat out Bill Belichick, who, like Jauron, had a worst-to-first season, with the New England Patriots in the AFC East.

"He told us in the beginning of training camp that we're not going to lose anymore, and that's the bottom line," says Bears safety Mike Brown.

Jauron, a Pro Bowl safety in 1974 with the Detroit Lions, deflects any of the praise that has come his way. He believes Chicago's success was a group effort. "Any personal awards, I'm very flattered by them," he says. "But I would accept any of them on behalf of the football players and the staff first and foremost and the whole organization after that."

Jauron was hired by the Bears in 1999 after spending four seasons as defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Prior to that, he was an assistant with the Buffalo Bills (1985) and the Green Bay Packers (1986-94). In 2001, he coached the Bears to their first playoff berth since 1994 and their first winning season since 1995. Chicago became the first team in NFL history to win a division championship after four straight last-place finishes.

"It definitely beats losing," Jauron says. "Any time you put 13 wins together in a regular season, that's a tremendous achievement for these players, for the coaches, and the whole organization. The thing that I like about what's happened this year is that we've done this thing as a team. On the field, off the field, as a coaching staff--it's all been a cooperative push from everybody."

A 19-45 record from 1997 through 2000 prompted the Bears to hire their first general manager in 14 years. Jerry Angelo came on board in June 2001 and was given complete authority over football operations, including the hiring and firing of coaches. While Jauron was assured of being retained for 2001, the common perception was that Angelo would bring in his own coach after that.

Angelo ultimately committed to Jauron, announcing on December 24 that the coach would return for the final year of his contract in 2002 and negotiations for an extension would begin after the 2001 season. "I can't be any happier in terms of the work he and his staff have done," Angelo said at the time. "I feel very comfortable with them. I've been very impressed with what Dick and his staff have done this season. Dick has shown to be a real team player. I'll go a long way for a guy like that."

Players also went a long way for Jauron. In his first two seasons as coach, the Bears were 1-9 in games following a victory and 1-16 when they trailed entering the fourth quarter. In 2001, they followed a loss with winning streaks of six, three, and four games and, for the first time since 1988, didn't have back-to-back defeats.

They won five games in which they trailed entering the fourth quarter, and their resiliency resulted in some fantastic finishes, including back-to-back wins in overtime, against the San Francisco 49ers and then the Cleveland Browns: In the San Francisco game, Chicago overcame a 289 third-quarter deficit to win 37-31. And against Cleveland, the Bears scored two touchdowns in the final 28 seconds of regulation to force overtime and ultimately produce a 27-21 win.

The Bears adopted an "us against the world" mentality that fueled their resurgence. All season long, they were united against critics who had predicted yet another last-place finish. Players almost seemed to enjoy discussing the lack of respect they received.

"That's the best thing," star middle linebacker Brian Urlacher said after the Bears clinched a playoff berth with a 27-3 pasting of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "Nobody outside this locker room gave us a chance." Added quarterback Jim Miller: "I think it's a consensus in our offensive room that you can all kiss our ass in the middle of Main Street, and we'll give you an hour to draw a crowd if you want."

To most outsiders, a six-game winning streak early in the season was the first indication that this would be a stunning turnaround for the Bears. But Jauron had good vibes even before that streak began. He was impressed with the resolve his players displayed following a disappointing 17-6 season-opening loss to the defending Super Bowl-champion Ravens in Baltimore. The, Bears had stumbled to 0-4 starts in three of the previous four seasons, but everyone around the team seemed to know that 2001 would be different.