Former Chicago Bears coach and Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka has died at the age of 86.
As reported by ESPN, his family confirmed that Ditka, who helped lead the Bears to their only Super Bowl title in 1986, passed away this week.
"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka," his family said. "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.”
A cause of death has not been publicly announced.
Ditka got his start in the NFL when he was drafted by the Chicago Bears fifth overall in the 1961 NFL draft. He later played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he retired from playing and won the Super Bowl in 1972. He followed these feats with a career as a coach, serving as the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, where he picked up his second Super Bowl championship. He was then the head coach for the Chicago Bears for a decade, helping the team earn their own Super Bowl title in 1986. He also served as the head coach for the New Orleans Saints for two years, retiring as a coach in 1999.
Ditka also had an extensive career in broadcasting, serving as a color commentator for various NBC broadcasts and several ESPN broadcasts.
RIP.
