Bill McGovern, former UCLA football defensive coordinator battling cancer, dies at 60

Even after his health deteriorated, sidelining him for nearly half a season, Bill McGovern yearned to stay around the players who rejuvenated him and the game that had been a lifelong love. He returned from a five-game absence to coach UCLA’s defense in the Sun Bowl last December, eagerly announcing that he “absolutely” expected to be the Bruins’ defensive coordinator in 2023. “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,” McGovern’s family said in a statement. “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.” Beloved for his self-deprecating humor and deep knowledge of the game, McGovern immediately connected with players a fraction of his age during his one season as the Bruins’ defensive coordinator. “He’s just helped me express my game in ways I wasn’t able to do last year, so now when I demonstrate it, it just looks like poetry.” McGovern’s time at UCLA was the final destination in a lengthy coaching career that included a stint as Boston College’s defensive coordinator and several stops in the NFL.