Bears Super Bowl–Winning Coach Mike Ditka Dies at Age 86

It was in the steel town of Aliquippa, Pa., where Mike Ditka’s toughness was forged. 

“How tough was Aliquippa? Our definition of quick hands was a guy who could steal hubcaps off a car that was moving,” Ditka told the Chicago Tribune in 1993. 

His roots would follow him onto the football field, displaying that toughness and grit each time he suited up for the Aliquippa Quips, Pittsburgh Panthers and for several NFL teams but -- most notably -- the Chicago Bears. 

Ditka was the one who revolutionized the tight end position, introducing the idea that his 6-foot-3, 228-pound frame wasn’t just meant for ferocious run blocking in the trenches but also as a legitimate passing weapon through the air to demolish opposing defenses. 

And, of course, he reached the mountaintop as a coach in the 1985-86 NFL season, leading the Bears to their only Lombardi Trophy, with Chicago’s 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. 

Ditka -- who has had medical issues over the years, including a mild heart attack in 2018 -- has died. He was 86.

The Chicago Bears released the following statement on Ditka's passing.

“He was disciplined, he was hard-nosed and you had to watch him for 60 minutes because he would take your head off,” Hall-of-Fame defensive end Deacon Jones said in an interview with NFL Films. 

He was known as “Iron Mike,” a nickname that originated from him being raised in a steel town. But it also represented how he coached his football teams -- stern and with command -- and his personality, which led to confrontation with coaches.   

The Bears didn’t face many obstacles in their 15-1 Super Bowl season, but Ditka and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan clashed, publicly disagreeing with each other in the four seasons they were together. 

“We would sit there during the games and kind of laugh because they would be nose to nose yelling at each other and ‘we’re like these are our two leaders?’ and we are still winning,” former Bears quarterback Jim McMahon said in the documentary 85: The Greatest Team In Football History.

Ditka’s outspokenness wasn’t a one-time incident, either.

In his first six seasons with the Bears, Ditka accumulated 4,503 receiving yards, caught 34 touchdowns, was selected to four Pro Bowls, and helped owner-coach George Halas win his sixth and last NFL title. But still there were conflicting views about Ditka’s contract, despite his significant contributions to the team.  

As a result, Ditka famously said that Halas “throws around nickels like manhole covers.” In 1967, Halas traded Ditka to the Eagles. 

Ditka has no doubt made controversial statements over the years, sometimes stubborn in his own ways, but he was also someone who could learn to forgive. During his time as an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys, Ditka put his words to paper and sent a letter to Halas, detailing that he would like to coach the Bears “when he was ready.”

He would go on to coach the Bears for 11 years, winning 106 games and finishing with a .750 winning percentage against the Packers. Although he was fired after a five-win season in 1992, Ditka cherished everything he had accomplished.

“I’m no special deal,” Ditka said on Jan. 5, 1993, after being fired from the Bears. “Mike Ditka is a guy that came out of Aliquippa … Went to the University of Pittsburgh and my life has been a miracle since because of this game.”

Ditka later went on to coach the New Orleans Saints for three seasons from 1997-99. 

The 1988 Hall-of-Fame inductee -- the first tight end to become enshrined -- went on to be recognized for more than just his contributions in football and his iconic sweater. Throughout the years, Ditka has had 14 acting credits, including his role in “Kicking & Screaming” where Ditka played himself to help coach a soccer team run by Will Ferrell’s character. 

On Dec. 9, 2013, Ditka became the 14th former Bears player to have his jersey retired, cementing his legacy in Bears history. 

“Mike Ditka embodies the spirit of everything the Bears are about,” chairman George McCaskey said in a statement. “He’s an icon. The last time we won the championship, Mike Ditka was our coach, and the last time we won before that, Mike Ditka was a player. The organization knew it was the right thing to do. He revolutionized the tight end position as a player and grabbed an entire franchise by the throat as a head coach and willed it to victory in the Super Bowl.”