Mike Ditka, Famously Known As “Da Coach” For The Chicago Bears, Dies At 86
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American sports icon Mike Ditka — who, as coach, led the Chicago Bears to their sole Super Bowl victory in 1986 — died on Friday, Oct. 9.
Ditka was 86.
Fondly known as “Da Coach,” news of his passing was shared by his family, who wrote in a statement:
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka. 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.”
His family concluded their statement, writing, “Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever.”
No cause of death was provided, but Ditka had two heart attacks in his life, as well as a minor stroke in 2012, ESPN noted.
During his career in sports, Ditka played in the NFL from 1961 to 1973, serving as a tight end for the Chicago Bears (1961-1967), the Philadelphia Eagles (1967-1968), and the Dallas Cowboys (1969-1972).
He went on to serve as assistant coach for the Cowboys before being brought on as head coach of the Bears in 1982.
Under his leadership, the 1985 team made it to the Super Bowl for the first time, and won 46-10 against the New England Patriots.
Notably, in 1988, Ditka was recognized for his past as a player, becoming the first ever tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Fox News reported.
He would continue to coach the Bears through the end of the 1992 season, which saw the team finish with five wins and 11 losses. This, ultimately, led to him being fired.
From there, he seamlessly became a sports commentator.
However, in 1997, Ditka returned to work as a head coach, but this time for the New Orleans Saints. Coaching them for three seasons, he then retired as coach and resumed his work as a sports commentator and media personality.
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Mike Ditka Remembered
In a statement released by the Chicago Bears on X, formerly Twitter, the team praised him as “a player, coach, and proud icon and ambassador” for the team.
See the Chicago Bears’ full statement, here:
https://t.co/sgU7O7pJ2Z
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 9, 2026
Similarly, the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement on the passing of Ditka, celebrating his “intensity, authenticity, and unmistakable personality.”
See Goodell’s full statement, here:
https://t.co/tLnPbbVoE7
— NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2026
While Ditka was a staunch supporter of Donald Trump for president in the 2016 presidential race, Ditka and the 1985 Bears were honored several years earlier by President Barack Obama in 2011 at the White House.
Because of the Challenger space shuttle disaster on Jan. 28, 1986, which was just two days after the Bears won Super Bowl XX, the Bears were never received at the White House despite having been invited.
Watch the moment the 1985 Bears were recognized by Obama, and see Ditka present Obama with a Bears jersey, here:
Former Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka has died. From 2011, Ditka presents President Obama with a Chicago Bears jersey. Obama welcomed the 1985 Super Bowl Champions to the White House. Their original visit was preempted by the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. https://t.co/VyAPSXY9nI
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 9, 2026
As of publishing time, President Donald Trump has not issued a statement regarding the death of Mike Ditka.
Revisit one of Saturday Night Live‘s many “Super Fans” skits, in which the cast routinely honored Mike Ditka, proudly speaking of “Da Bears” and celebrating Ditka’s “courage and good grooming” that “set a standard for an entire city.”
Watch the skit that followed Ditka being fired from the bears in 1993, here:
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