Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 6, 1993 TAG: 9301060190
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LAKE FOREST, ILL. LENGTH: Medium
BEARS END DITKA'S REIGN
Mike Ditka's 11 years as the bellowing, bullying coach of the Chicago Bears ended Tuesday with a tear in his eye and a quiver in his voice.Ditka, who led the Bears to a 1986 Super Bowl victory, was fired nine days after the end of a disastrous 5-11 season. He will stay on indefinitely as a consultant.
"We're going to have to find some new ways to do some things, ways different than we've done them in the past," Bears president Michael McCaskey said. "There's going to be a premium on fresh ideas, and a new start.
"I've come to the difficult conclusion that it's best to start that process with a new head coach."
Ditka, 53, who spoke haltingly at a news conference that lasted less than six minutes, said: "Scripture tells you that all things shall pass. This, too, shall pass. Regrets, just a few, but too few to remember. Thirty-two years, and I have a lot of people to thank.
"I want to thank the players most because they make it happen. Thank you, fans of this city.
"The Bears will come back. Mike Ditka will survive. I'll land on my feet. There's no problem about that."
Ditka and McCaskey left the news conference quickly, leaving many unanswered questions.
As for hiring a new coach, McCaskey said, "The quicker, the better. Maybe some of the coaches I want to interview are with playoff teams and we would have to wait until their season ends."
That increased speculation that Richie Petitbon, defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins and a former Bears player, would be among those considered.
McCaskey also said Bears coordinators - Greg Landry on offense and Vince Tobin on defense - deserve consideration.
The Bears finished with their worst record since 1975, and it was only Ditka's third losing season. He had a 106-62 regular-season record and led the Bears to six divisional titles. The 1986 Super Bowl championship followed a 15-1 regular season.
But after going 14-2 in 1986, there was a gradual slide. In 1989 the team fell to 6-10, but came back with two 11-5 seasons before this year's collapse.
Some say it began Oct. 4 at Minnesota when the Bears, who were 2-2 at the time, held a 20-0 lead in the fourth quarter. Then Jim Harbaugh then threw an interception on an audible that was returned for a touchdown. Ditka exploded on the sidelines, and the Bears blew the lead and lost 21-20.
Two weeks later, when he was again questioned about "The Audible," Ditka went into a rage at his press conference and said, "399 plays I've been calm and one I've been excited. You think this is a damn soap opera."
That was the end of his weekly Monday news conferences.
After a 20-17 loss at Tampa Bay, he had to be restrained from going into the stands for a fan who "called me a bad name."
And after a 16-3 loss at Detroit, Ditka was stung when McCaskey said he would evaluate the team at the end of the season. Then Ditka said he would make his own evaluation, and that the only way he would stay with the team "is if I can control it. We've hit bottom."
That might have sealed his fate.
Ditka ranks second among Bears coaches in both tenure and victories, trailing only the late George Halas, the team's founder.
When hired in 1982, Ditka took over a team that had only two winning seasons in the previous 19. He revamped the team and the Bears were 11-14 his first two seasons.
In their championship season, the Bears went 18-1 and Ditka was named coach of the year.
He was coach of the year again in 1988 for taking the Bears to a 12-4 league-best record and the NFC title game, despite suffering a mild heart attack in midseason.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL