National Football League

Browns hire Jauron as D-coordinator

Published Jan. 21, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

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As expected, the Cleveland Browns named Dick Jauron as their new defensive coordinator.

Jauron has 26 years experience coaching in the NFL, including 10 seasons as a head coach. He spent 2010 with the Philadelphia Eagles as senior assistant/defensive backs coach.

“Dick is someone I have known for many years, who is an outstanding football coach and very well-respected around the league,” said new Browns head coach Pat Shurmur. “He has a tremendous knowledge of the game and is an excellent teacher. His experience in the NFL as a player, position coach, coordinator and head coach will be a huge asset to our staff and I am looking forward to having him as a member of the Cleveland Browns.”

Jauron takes over for Rob Ryan, who took the same position with the Dallas Cowboys.

“I want to thank Pat and the Cleveland Browns for this great opportunity,” Jauron said. “There were many elements of this job that were attractive for me. I have known Pat and his family for a long time, and in fact, I played for and coached with his uncle, Fritz. I believe that with people like Pat Shurmur, Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert in place, this organization is building a solid foundation. I can’t wait to get started with the Browns.”

Jauron guided the Eagles secondary as Philadelphia finished third in the NFL with 23 interceptions, including an NFC-high seven by CB Asante Samuel, who earned a Pro Bowl selection.

Prior to Philadelphia, Jauron spent four seasons (2006-09) as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, which followed a two-year stint with the Detroit Lions. He joined the Detroit Lions’ staff in 2004 as defensive coordinator before serving as the interim head coach for the final five games of the 2005 season. Under Jauron’s tutelage, defensive lineman Shaun Rogers earned the first two Pro Bowl selections of his career and CB Dre’ Bly was tabbed as a Pro Bowler in 2004.

Jauron was head coach of the Chicago Bears from 1999-2003 and was named the 2001 Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year. That season, the Bears’ defense ranked first in the NFL in points allowed (203) and second in rushing yards allowed (82.1 pg) en route to a 13-3 record and their first NFC Central Division Championship since 1990.

Prior to his stint in Chicago, Jauron served as the defensive coordinator for the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars from 1995-98, helping lead the team to three playoff appearances in four years, including the AFC Championship game in 1996 and the AFC Central Division title in 1998.

Jauron began his coaching career with Buffalo, where he served as a defensive assistant in 1985 before coaching the defensive backs for the Green Bay Packers from 1986-94. In Green Bay, he helped mentor Pro Bowlers S Chuck Cecil (1992) and S LeRoy Butler (1993).

Jauron was a fourth-round selection of the Detroit Lions in the 1973 NFL Draft, and was also selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1973 Major League Baseball Draft. As a safety, he spent five seasons with Detroit (1973-77) and four with Cincinnati (1978-81). He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1974 as a punt returner after leading the NFC in punt return average (16.8). He appeared in 100 career regular season games and finished with 26 interceptions, including two returns for touchdowns.

A two-sport star at Yale University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history, Jauron set several school records, including most consecutive 100-yard rushing games (16). He attended Swampscott (Mass.) High School, where he was named one of the top-10 prep athletes of the 20th century in the state of Massachusetts by the Boston Globe. He also spent some of his childhood in Rensselaer, Ind., where his father was the head coach at St. Joseph’s College.

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