Former Bears assistant Bill McGovern passes away |
Former Bears assistant coach Bill McGovern passed away Tuesday after a battle with cancer at the age of 60.
McGovern served as Bears inside linebackers coach in 2021. McGovern spent 38 years as a coach, including 30 at the collegiate level and eight in the NFL with the Eagles (2013-15), Giants (2016-19), and Bears. "When I got here, he was leaving," Bears general manager Poles said about his friendship with McGovern from his time at Boston College together. "I was bummed that I didn't get a chance to see him. But I walked into my office, and he had left a note that said, 'I couldn't be more proud of you,' which was really cool. I just wish I had been able to spend some time with him." Most recently, McGovern was the defensive coordinator for UCLA last season. "Early this morning we said goodbye to our beloved father and husband Bill after his long and difficult battle with cancer came to an end and today, we would like to thank the entire UCLA community for all of the love and support you gave to Bill and our entire family during this very difficult struggle," the family’s statement read. "In particular, the McGovern family would like to thank UCLA head football coach Chip Kelly and his wife Jill as well as all of the players, coaches, trainers, and support staff of the UCLA football program and their families. "It was the honor of Bill's coaching career to be the defensive coordinator for the UCLA Bruins and this past season was one of the highlights of Bill's coaching career. We are so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of such a historic athletic tradition and, more importantly, we could not have made it through this past year without the love and prayers of our UCLA family. The McGovern family is so grateful and thankful to all of you for your help during this difficult time and we will be indebted to you all forever. Thank you so much and we will cherish the wonderful memories we have of UCLA and our UCLA football family for the rest of our lives." We would like to give out our most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Bill McGovern.
