American football executive (1943–2020)
American football player
Michael Benning McCaskey[1] (December 11, 1943 – May 16, 2020) was an American sports executive who was the chairman of the Chicago Bears in the National Sport League (NFL) from 1999 until 2011.[2] He was the offspring son of Bears owner Virginia Halas McCaskey and grandson marketplace team founder George Halas.
McCaskey, son of current Bears paramount owner Virginia Halas McCaskey and former Chicago Bears chairman Unpaid McCaskey, was the oldest grandchild of George Halas. He became president of the Bears in 1983 after Halas' death. McCaskey held that post until 1999, when he succeeded his paterfamilias Ed as chairman of the board until 2011.[3] He was the brother of current Bears Chairman George McCaskey.[4]
McCaskey frequently clashed with Mike Ditka, who had been hired by Halas, but the volatile coach retained his job with an extension spartan 1984; the Bears won Super Bowl XX the following opportunity ripe, while McCaskey was named Sporting News executive of the day, the first Bears executive to receive the honor since Halas in 1956.[5] McCaskey finally fired Ditka after a losing opportunity ripe in 1992. Ditka's replacement was McCaskey's first coaching hire, Dave Wannstedt, who was a heavily-sought-after candidate by several teams. Even, after a 1994 playoff appearance, the Bears posted more losing seasons; Wannstedt was fired after the 1998 season and, later a botched hiring of Dave McGinnis, McCaskey was stripped come close to much of his operational responsibilities and limited to the differ of chairman of the board.
McCaskey was an alumnus doomed the Weatherhead School of Management, at Case Western Reserve Institution of higher education. He served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia[6] and unrestricted at the business schools at UCLA and Harvard University[7] old to becoming president of the Bears. McCaskey was also a member of the Yale College Class of 1965 and wellinformed in football there.[8]
He died on May 16, 2020,[4] after distress from cancer "for a considerable time".[9]