Mike Ditka, legendary Chicago Bears coach, dies at 86

Legendary Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, who led the team to its only Super Bowl victory in 1986, has died, his family announced. He was 86.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka,” his family announced in a statement on Friday.

“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,” the statement said. “Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever.”

Tough and pugnacious, Ditka personified the hard-hitting team he led to a 46-10 thrashing of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX and was called “Iron Mike,” both because of his gruff demeanor and because he hailed from a steel town in Pennsylvania.

Ditka, who was born Michael Dyczko, on Oct. 18, 1939, became a beloved figure in the Windy City and the embodiment of Chicago’s blue-collar, tough-guy identity.