Matt Eberflus hasn’t spent much time in front of the Chicago Bears media just yet. Not much of a surprise since he’s clearly been busy. Little by little the new head coach has begun piecing together his staff. While questions remain on the offensive side of the ball outside of new coordinator Luke Getsy, it seems as if the defense is coming into focus. After landing his linebackers and second coaches, Eberflus seems to have landed his defensive coordinator.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, plans are for the Bears to bring Indianapolis Colts safeties coach Alan Williams in to fill that role. Williams has served under Eberflus since 2018 and has been a huge part of making that defense such a consistent success. He is highly experienced as an assistant and also has worked as a coordinator in the past. He held the same position for two years with the Minnesota Vikings in 2012 and 2013.
The #Bears are targeting #Colts safeties coach Alan Williams as their defensive coordinator, per sources. Interview process still ongoing. But Williams — the onetime #Vikings DC — is a logical fit to follow Matt Eberflus from Indianapolis.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 30, 2022
Williams isn’t a surprise choice at all.
He has a deep background in the Tampa-2 defensive scheme, having worked in it under Tony Dungy for almost a decade in the 2000s and now under Eberflus again. His expertise with defensive backs can’t be understated either. He was a critical part of helping Bob Sanders win Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. Then he molded Glover Quin and Darius Slay into Pro Bowlers during his stint with the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017.
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As a coordinator though, his run in Minnesota was a mixed bag. His first year went well as the defense made big strides from where they were the year prior. However, things fell apart in Williams’ second season (32nd in points allowed). Partly due to questionable play calling but also a slew of injuries. There are valid questions on if he’s the right man for the job, but it is clear Matt Eberflus trusts him. That will have to be enough for now.
