LAKE FOREST, Ill. (WGN) — Just two days after finding a new general manager, the Bears have found their man to be their next on-field leader.
The Bears have hired Matt Eberflus as their next head coach, taking over for Matt Nagy, who was fired after the 2021 season, according to a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN.
He most recently served as the Colts defensive coordinator the last four seasons and had completed his second interview for the job on Wednesday. Eberflus beat out former Colts and Lions coach Jim Caldwell and Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn for the position, with each of those two candidates having second interviews with new Bears general manager Ryan Poles this week.
It will be the coach’s first head coaching at any level and will be the 17th full time on-field leader of the team in franchise history.
Eberflus joined the Colts in 2018 as defensive coordinator, doing so after initially being hired by Josh McDaniels when he briefly accepted the job in Indianapolis before backing out. New head coach Frank Reich kept him and Eberflus just completed his fourth year with the team.
This past season, the Colts’ were fifth in takeaways in the NFL with 25 with the unit ranking ninth in points and 16 in yardage allowed. The team narrowly missed the playoffs and finished with a 9-8 record.
Before arriving in Indianapolis, Eberflus was in Dallas from 2011-2017, serving as linebackers coach the entire time. In his last two seasons, he was named the Cowboys’ defensive passing game coordinator. His first job in the NFL was with the Browns as their linebacker’s coach in 2009 and 2010.
A graduate and former player at Toledo, Eberflus began his coaching career at the school as a student assistant coach in 1992 and became a graduate assistant the next year. In 1994 he became the outside linebackers coach and held that position till 1999 when he was named the defensive backs coach. He held that position for the Tigers for two seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2001.
He remained with the Tigers till 2008 when he took the job in Cleveland.