Before he left football in 1992, Mike Ditka developed a reputation as a tough guy who put up with little from players, management or the media.
Ditka, the latest coach to shake off burnout and return from the broadcast booth to the sidelines, is the new coach of the New Orleans Saints.He's also intent on showing that his old image doesn't match his new ways.
"I want to create a sense of pride here," Ditka said he was hired as the Saints' 12th head coach. "I want to make it fun for everybody, especially the people in the organization. I want the fans to enjoy it too."
Ditka, an NBC studio analyst the past four years, was offered the job Jan. 20, and on Tuesday he signed a three-year contract that will pay him between $5.5 million and $6 million over the length of the deal. He and owner Tom Benson said they decided last week not to announce his hiring until after the Super Bowl on Sunday in order not to divert attention from the NFL's marquee game.
Ditka is the latest coach to leave the broadcast booth and get back into coaching. Earlier this month, Dick Vermeil returned as coach of the St. Louis Rams after 14 years, and last year Jimmy Johnson replaced Don Shula in Miami after a two-year stay at Fox Sports.
Ditka says his health is good now, his attitude is relaxed, and his outlook is positive.
"I have the drive and the enthusiasm is growing," Ditka said. "I didn't realize until now how much I missed it."
Ditka, 57, takes over a team that has not had a winning season in four years, only five in 30 years, finished 3-13 in 1996 and has never won a playoff game.
Now his job is to get the Saints back to the playoffs.