Mike Ditka, legendary Chicago Bears coach, dies at 86

Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka at Soldier Field in Chicago in the 1980s.Focus On Sport / GettyShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Corky SiemaszkoLegendary 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.

“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.”

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.

ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleCorky SiemaszkoCorky Siemaszko is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital.