It all started with a request in a personal letter. George Halas was taking a real chance when he granted that request and named a young special teams coordinator from the Dallas Cowboys as the Bears’ 10th head coach on January 20, 1982.
But Halas new what he was getting in Mike Ditka. Halas knew the fiery 42-year-old leader was just the man to bring winning football back to the storied franchise.
And, that he did.
Ditka averaged more than 10 wins a year in his 10 full seasons and brought Chicago its only Super Bowl Championship 30 years ago.
Here’s a look at some classic images from Coach Ditka’s first season: