Ryan Poles came in as the GM 48 hours ago. From there he met with three finalists for the head coaching position. Jim Caldwell was first. Then he came Dan Quinn and Matt Eberflus. Everybody seemed convinced that Quinn was the heavy favorite. Poles took a night to sleep on it. Then on Thursday morning, the Chicago Bears reached a decision. Eberflus was their guy. He will become the 17th head coach of the franchise according to Adam Schefter.
It was noted that Eberflus was a strong recommendation by Bears consultant Bill Polian but must be kept in mind that Poles and the coach also share the same agent (former Bear Trace Armstrong). So it’s a safe bet the Bears GM knew about Eberflus long before Polian became involved. He interviewed the coach by himself on Wednesday. A source informed SM that the meeting was short. This would seem to offer a strong indication Poles heard everything he needed to hear.
Former Colts’ defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is being hired as the head coach of the Chicago Bears, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 27, 2022
Under Matt Eberflus (since 2018), the Colts rank in the top 10 in: Takeaways, points allowed, yards allowed per game and yards per carry.
And Eberflus has done this with just ONE player reaching double digits in sacks in 4 years (Justin Houston, 2019).
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) January 27, 2022
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Eberflus is an interesting choice.
Not a bad one, mind you. His success since coming to the NFL has been consistent wherever he’s gone. He was an excellent linebackers coach for the Dallas Cowboys from 2011 to 2017. Then he became an excellent defensive coordinator for the Colts since 2018, ranking in the top 10 overall three times and top 10 in takeaways four times. He is known for being a good motivator and teacher. Somebody that demands effort, discipline, and consistency.
The big concerns with him were the usual. Whether he could construct a strong enough staff to help Justin Fields excel. It would seem that his pitch to Poles and the Chicago Bears brass was strong enough to get him the job. It will be interesting to see what assistants he brings in. Another article will be forthcoming on potential names to watch for. Time will tell on whether Eberflus is a success or not.
He isn’t the flashiest hire, but all evidence to this point says the same thing. The guy is a good football coach.
