Mike Ditka, Hall of Fame Bears coach, dies at 86

Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame tight end who coached the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl championship, died at 86 on Friday, October 9, 2026, his family announced. The family statement described him as a husband, father, grandfather and friend. It did not disclose a cause of death, and none was reported in the supplied statements. Ditka’s career connected landmark achievements as a player and coach. He was the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in 1988, after a playing career that included five Pro Bowl selections. He played for the Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, then joined the Cowboys’ coaching staff under Tom Landry. The Bears hired Ditka as head coach in 1982. His defining season came in 1985, when Chicago finished 15-1 in the regular season and went on to defeat the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX on January 26, 1986. The win gave the franchise its first Super Bowl title. Ditka coached the Bears through the 1992 season and later led the New Orleans Saints from 1997 to 1999.