<P> After firing previous coach Neill Armstrong following the 1981 season, Halas decided to take Ditka up on his offer from several years earlier and hired him to become the team's head coach for 1982 season . Although the Bears had made the playoffs under Armstrong and his predecessor Jack Pardee, those were the only two winning seasons since Halas' retirement as coach and he was looking for a coach who would bring the Bears back to prominence . Shortly after his hiring, as recounted by Mike Singletary in 2006, Ditka called a team meeting . In the meeting he warned that the team would experience some turnover, but if they were all willing to work hard for him and stand with him, Ditka promised a trip to the Super Bowl within three seasons . Specifically Ditka said "Give me three years, and if you walk with me, we'll get to the dance ." </P> <P> By his third season, Ditka led the Bears to the NFC Championship Game, where the Bears were shut out by the eventual Super Bowl - winning 49ers in San Francisco . The following year, Ditka's coaching career hit its pinnacle on January 26, 1986, with a 46--10 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana . Ditka has stated that one of his biggest regrets in life was not letting Walter Payton score a touchdown in the Super Bowl, instead opting for Jim McMahon to run it in twice and rookie defensive tackle William "The Refrigerator" Perry to run it in once . </P> <P> In 1985, Ditka led the Bears to a 15--1 record, and he was named NFL Coach of the Year by the Associated Press following the regular season . Football commentators widely regard the 1985 Bears defense as one of the best ever . It was masterminded by defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, with little oversight from Ditka; in fact, Ditka and Ryan had a largely adversarial relationship dating back to Ditka's hire as Ryan, who was already on the coaching staff when Ditka joined the Bears, felt that he should have been promoted into the head coaching position . Although the two men continued to work together, the relationship continued to deteriorate and with the Bears trailing by three touchdowns in a late season Monday night game against the Miami Dolphins that resulted in the team's only loss, Ryan finally snapped after Ditka, as he recounted in 2006 for NFL Network, told him that the defensive scheme was not working . The two began throwing punches at each other and had to be separated, and Ditka said that the relationship at that point became unsalvageable . In an unusual gesture, following the Bears Super Bowl victory, the players carried both Ryan and Ditka off the field . In addition, the 1985 Chicago Bears are one of the few teams to consistently challenge the undefeated 1972 Dolphins for the unofficial title of the "Greatest NFL Team of All - Time". The NFL Network series America's Game rated the 1985 Bears as the second - best Super Bowl champions ever . </P> <P> Buddy Ryan left in 1986 to become the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles . When asked if he was happy Ryan was gone, Ditka replied he was not happy, but "elated". In 1986, 1987, and 1988, the Bears won the Central Division title and earned three home playoff games . The first of those years saw the Bears finish the regular season with a 14--2 record to tie the New York Giants for the best in the entire league . However, the Bears were upset by the Washington Redskins in their first playoff game . The next year, the Bears finished second in the NFC with an 11--4 record, but were again upended by the Redskins en route to that team's second Super Bowl victory of the decade . The Bears finished 12--4 in 1988 and got homefield advantage, and defeated Ryan's Eagles in the Fog Bowl in their first game . However, the team was defeated by the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game and this would be the last time the team would advance that far until they won the 2006 NFC Championship Game . </P>

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