Former Saints Coach and NFL Legend Mike Ditka Passes Away

Ditka's larger than life personality made a brief, three year appearance on the New Orleans sidelines.

Unknown date; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears tight end #89 Mike Ditka in action at Wrigley Field. Ditka finished his 12-year Hall of Fame career with 427 catches for 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns. Ditka went on to be a head coach with the Bears and the New Orleans Saints and won Super Bowl XX as head coach with the bears. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The passing of NFL legend Mike Ditka at the age of 86 was announced today by his family.

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

Iron Mike won a Super Bowl in 1986 as the head coach of the team for which he played that earned him NFL Hall of Fame honors, the Chicago Bears. His cast of characters invaded New Orleans and the Louisiana Superdome that year, doing the Super Bowl Shuffle, featuring quarterback Jim McMahan, linebacker Mike Singletary, Sweetness himself, Walter Payton and William "Refrigerator" Perry.

New Orleans fell in love with Ditka.

A dozen years later, after Jim Mora resigned from coaching the Saints, Ditka returned from a four-year coaching hiatus to take the lead position in New Orleans. His tenure in New Orleans was short, but not without flashes of his style coming through.

After finishing 6-10 for two consecutive seasons, Ditka pulled out all the stops and made what he thought was the deal of the century, trading all the Saints draft picks to Washington for the #1 choice in the 1999 draft. He chose Texas running back Ricky Williams. It was widely criticized across the sports world, so much so, ESPN convinced the two to dress up as husband and bride for a cover shoot.

ESPN Magazine Williams & Ditka | ESPN Magazine

This was Ditka's worst year coaching the Saints, as his squad went 3-13 on the year. He even called for his own firing late in the season. New Orleans agreed once the team wrapped up the final game, letting him and general manager Bill Kuharich go after the season.

Even after those losing seasons, people throughout the Saints franchise spoke of Ditka's kindness and immense generosity that still rings through the facility to this day.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the Ditka family, his loved ones, and the generations of fans who were inspired by his unforgettable presence in our sport," the Saints organization said in a release today. "While his time leading our franchise on the field was brief in longevity, his presence left an indelible mark on our organization. Mike approached his tenure with the Saints with the same bold authenticity and relentless drive that defined his entire career."

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