Mike Ditka, former Chicago Bears head coach, dies at 86

Mike Ditka, the former head coach of the Chicago Bears, has died at 86, his family said in a statement on Friday. He won a Super Bowl as both an NFL player and a coach.

Ditka led the 1985 Bears to the franchise’s only Super Bowl title, coaching a side widely regarded as having the greatest defense in the history of the NFL. He was known for a fiery persona during his time in Chicago. The 1985 team’s Super Bowl is referenced in his family’s statement and in accounts of his career.

“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 was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. He is one of two people in NFL history to win a league title as a player, an assistant coach and a head coach. He was also the first tight end to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

He went from a local hero to a Chicago icon across an 11-year coaching stint with the Bears. He later attempted a comeback with the New Orleans Saints and retired permanently after that failed comeback in 1999. His coaching tenure is frequently associated with the Bears’ 1985 championship season.

As a player, Ditka was the fifth overall pick of the 1961 NFL draft by the Bears. He was a member of the Bears’ 1963 NFL championship team. He also played for the Dallas Cowboys team that won Super Bowl VI.

A cause of death was not immediately announced. This story will be updated.