Mike Ditka, the legendary and beloved coach of the Chicago Bears and member of the NFL Hall-Of-Fame, has passed away at the age of 86, according to a statement from his family.
No cause of death was given.
“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.”
In 1982, Ditka, a former star tight end for the Bears under Founder and then-head coach George Halas, was hired by Halas to come back to Chicago from Dallas, where he was an assistant coach, to rejuvenate a Bears franchise mired in mediocrity. Ditka’s aggressive personality and obvious love for the organzation spurred a renewal, leading to a decade-long dominance of the so-called “Black-and-Blue” division of the NFC and, ultimately, a Super Bowl victory ending the 1985 season, the first in Bears history. Interestingly, Ditka and Oakland Raiders coach Tom Flores are the only people to win a Super Bowl as a player, an assistant coach, and a head coach.
Funeral and memorial services have yet to be annnounced.
