Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame tight end who became even more famous as the only coach to lead the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl title, has died at 86.
The fiery coach, synonymous with the adopted city he loved, gained national fame by leading the 1985 Bears on a tour de force that left opposing offenses in shambles and culminated in a triumphant 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka,” his family said in a statement. “While the world knew Mike as a Hall of Fame football player, legendary coach, and leader of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl XX championship team, we knew him as the heart of our family.
“Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever.”
Ditka, who patrolled the sidelines for the Bears when it wasn’t unusual to see a coach wearing a tie, became a fixture for football fans who grew up watching the game in the 80s and 90s.
Known as “Da Coach” to Bears fans, Ditka would not shy away from full-blown shouting matches with players and assistant coaches and could be reliably found aggressively chewing gum with sleeved arms folded under a sleeveless sweater that read, “Bears.”
His stint in Chicago began in 1982, when legendary Bears Owner George Halas hired him to reverse the fortunes of his once-proud franchise. And reverse those fortunes he would.
During Ditka’s tenure, he led the team to the playoffs seven times in his 11 seasons and to the NFC Championship Game three times.
Ditka proved himself as a coach, but he established himself as a player long before that.
“The fifth overall pick of the 1961 NFL draft by the Bears, Ditka won Rookie of the Year after becoming the first tight end to surpass 1,000 receiving yards,” ESPN reported. “He played six years for the Bears, two for the Philadelphia Eagles and four for the Dallas Cowboys. Ditka was a member of the Bears’ 1963 NFL championship team and the Cowboys’ squad that won Super Bowl VI.
“He was the first tight end enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, being inducted in 1988.”
The team dismissed Ditka from head coaching duties in Chicago in 1992. After a few years, he would resurface as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, where he famously traded eight draft picks, including two first-round selections, to the Redskins, to select star Texas running back Ricky Williams.
Neither Ditka nor Williams would have their best years in New Orleans.
By then, however, Ditka was as famous for his personality as for his success on the gridiron. He even inspired a Saturday Night Live skit called Bill Swerski’s Superfans, based on Chicago fans who lionized “Da Coach.”
After his coaching career, Ditka worked as an analyst for NBC and then for ESPN. He was a member of ESPN’s Sunday Morning Countdown from 2006 to 2015, ESPN reports.