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Chicago Bears: Two Uncanny Coach Similarities

By Wanda Wiedman

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 26: Head Coach Mike Ditka of the Chicago Bears gets carried off the field after they defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Bears won the Super Bowl 46-10. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 26: Head Coach Mike Ditka of the Chicago Bears gets carried off the field after they defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Bears won the Super Bowl 46-10. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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Say the words, “Da Coach” and everyone knows who you are talking about. But can Chicago Bears fans say the same thing about Foxy?

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Dec 20, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox in the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

Mike Ditka will always be associated with the Chicago Bears, even beyond the magical 1985 season. Ask any Bears fan and they will tell you about the one Super Bowl that time will never let them forget. But there is only one “Iron” Mike Ditka, who in his rough and rowdy demeanor, took a group of guys and turned them into playmakers.

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After the debacle and mutiny under Marc Trestman, the Chicago Bears needed a coach who could relate to the players and give them hope of a Super Bowl within the next four years. With John Fox building this Bears team he may be the one to bring them back. But is there any similarity between Ditka an current head coach John Fox that might lean toward success? Let’s find out!

They were both players in the NFL

Ditka played a relatively new position as a tight end for the Chicago Bears from 1961-1972. A number one draft pick, Ditka established himself as a fierce competitor with intensity and talent. He took no prisoners as an offensive juggernaut who became one of the most feared individuals in the NFL. At the time , no one could block better, catch better or stiff arm a defenseman better than Ditka, a history embodied in the Football Hall of Fame. His experience on the field made him the coveted offensive coach the Bears needed.

Aug 2, 2014; Canton, OH, USA; Mike Ditka at the TimkenSteel Grand Parade on Cleveland Avenue in advance of the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 2, 2014; Canton, OH, USA; Mike Ditka at the TimkenSteel Grand Parade on Cleveland Avenue in advance of the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

On the flipside, Fox was an undrafted free agent who played strong safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1978, but only in the off season and on the practice squad. A walk-on at San Diego State he earned the name “Crash”. Though he did not have the caliber stats as Ditka he could at least relate to the players he coached and does so with a defensive mind. Fox became more of the visionary of what to look for in a player that can help a team win.

Coached more than one team

After playing his last game as a player for the Dallas Cowboys, Ditka used his experience to get the best out of himself by becoming the special teams/receivers coach for the Cowboys from 1973-1981, which included the 1977 Super Bowl XII championship. From 1982-1992, Ditka became the head coach of his beloved team, the Chicago Bears.

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In 1985 and 1988 he was the NFL Coach of the Year, with the most memorable season in 1985 taking the Bears to a 15-1 record and Super Bowl title. He coached also coached the New Orleans Saints from 1997-1999, with each season ending under .500.

Fox wore the coaching hat longer than Ditka as he was the defensive back coach for six different colleges and four professional football teams, from 1979-1993. He moved up the ladder to defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Raiders for one year (1994-95) and then four-years with the New York Giants. Fox then was the head coach with the Carolina Panthers (2002-10), the Denver Broncos (2011-14), to the present Chicago Bears. He has three division championship titles, two in the NFC and one in the AFC. Sadly he has been to the Super Bowl twice, only to lose both times.

Private Life

  • Both Ditka and Fox have four children; three sons and one daughter. Each one has a son named Mark and Matthew (Matt).
  • They both have nick names: Ditka is well known as Iron Mike and Fox is, well… Foxy.
  • Both coaches had heart issues. Ditka had a heart attack during the 1988 season which the Bears were in first place with a 12-4 record. In the mid-season of 2013, Fox was thought to have had a heart attack on a golf course but that was dismissed as it was a defective aortic valve. The Broncos still went on to win the division with a 13-3 record and a Super Bowl run, which they lost in a blowout 43-8.

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The similarities are uncanny for both of these coaches. Ditka with his strong accent and Foxy with that scraggly voice. Both men who love hard hitting defenses and aggressive offenses. Both love to win and hate losing. Ditka was more vocal about it, while Fox showed it more in his face than verbally. The similarities are so close that it may just be what Fox’s needs to make another run at the Super Bowl but with a team hungry to get their identity back.

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