Hall of Fame Coach Mike Ditka, Leader of the 1985 Chicago Bears, Dies at 86

Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame tight end who became the face of the 1985 Chicago Bears as their head coach, died on Friday at age 86, his family announced, according to NBC Sports and USA TODAY.

USA TODAY reported that a representative for Ditka said he died of natural causes. His family announced the passing on Friday morning, according to NBC Sports, which cited ESPN.

Ditka is best known for leading the 1985 Bears, who went 15-1 in the regular season and won Super Bowl XX, according to USA TODAY. Current Bears head coach Ben Johnson called it a sad day during his Friday news conference and described Ditka as the gold standard for the franchise, according to USA TODAY.

A tight end who changed the position

Before he coached, Ditka changed how the tight end was used on offense. Drafted out of the University of Pittsburgh in 1961, he became the first tight end in NFL history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season, catching 58 passes for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rookie and earning Rookie of the Year honors, according to USA TODAY.

He played on the Bears’ 1963 NFL championship team and later played for the Dallas Cowboys team that won Super Bowl VI, according to NBC Sports. After a 12-year playing career, he joined Dallas as an assistant coach before becoming Chicago’s head coach in 1982, NBC Sports reported. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988 as the first tight end admitted, according to USA TODAY.

Coaching career and later life

Ditka coached Chicago until he was fired after the 1992 season, then returned to the sideline with the New Orleans Saints in 1997, including the trade that brought running back Ricky Williams to New Orleans, according to NBC Sports. USA TODAY reported that Chicago reached the playoffs seven times during his 11 seasons leading the Bears.

The Bears said Ditka’s impact on the organization as a player, coach and ambassador was immeasurable, according to USA TODAY, and the Saints and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also issued condolences, with Goodell crediting Ditka as an ambassador for the game who inspired generations of fans. Ditka also worked as a television analyst for NBC and ESPN after coaching, according to NBC Sports.

Reporting based on coverage by NBC Sports and USA TODAY.