CHICAGO — Matt Eberflus will be the 17th head coach of the Chicago Bears, according to league sources.
In his first move as Bears general manager, Ryan Poles on Thursday hired Eberflus from a group of finalists that included Dan Quinn and Jim Caldwell. Eberflus, 51, was the Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator the last four seasons.
He replaces Matt Nagy, who along with GM Ryan Pace was fired Jan. 10 after a 6-11 finish in 2021 and 34-31 record in four seasons in his first stint as an NFL head coach.
Eberflus first interviewed with the Bears on Jan. 17 and had a second interview with Poles on Wednesday. He was one of at least 10 candidates who interviewed for the coaching vacancy.
Eberflus finished third in 2018 in the NFL Assistant Coach of the Year voting. This season, Eberflus oversaw a Colts defense that led the AFC in takeaways (33) while finishing in the top 10 in the league in points allowed (21.5 ppg).
Before his tenure with the Colts, Eberflus spent six years coaching linebackers for the Dallas Cowboys after a two-year stint in the same role with the Cleveland Browns. He also has 17 years of college coaching experience on his resume at Toledo (1992-2000) and Missouri (2001-08).
Players laud Eberflus for his communication skills and leadership style. He is known as a detail-oriented coach with a knack for connecting with players and fellow coaches. Eberflus has earned a reputation for being able to blend his strategic insight with the personnel he has to work with, loading his defense with only as much as players can handle.
The Bears hired Poles on Tuesday after an extensive search that included at least 12 other GM candidates. Poles, 36, was the Kansas City Chiefs executive director of player personnel and spent 13 years with the organization.
____
