One of the biggest misconceptions about professional sports is that the best thing is not to have an ego when trying to succeed. That is not true. History often shows that the players with the biggest egos tend to reach the greatest heights. See Michael Jordan or Tom Brady. The same goes for coaches. They’re competitors too. Winning matters to them, and they need to have that unshakable confidence to do what they do. Matt Eberflus is no different.
The new Chicago Bears head coach might come across as a relatively unassuming guy. Just another football coach. Not much in the way of flash. Don’t be fooled. People that have come to know the 51-year old over the years learned one thing fast. Eberflus demands excellence. Both of his players and himself. He is relentless in his drive, and this has led to him having a degree of swagger that might surprise some people.
Take this story via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic about his time at Missouri.
Part of building Missouri’s defense meant landing great players on the recruiting trail. The best might’ve been William Moore.
It could be an urban myth, but the way Kuligowski heard it, Eberflus visited Moore at his home. Coming to see Moore next was the head coach of Arkansas, Houston Nutt.
Eberflus put a sign on Moore’s front door that read, “Nutt, go home.”
Moore went on to become a first-team All-American for the Missouri Tigers.
Keep in mind Eberflus was 35-years old at the time. A young no-name coordinator told an established, respected head coach in Nutt to stay away. Arkansas had beaten Missouri 27-14 back in 2003. So for Eberflus to have that kind of guts is wild. It worked. Moore was great for the Tigers, got drafted in the 2nd round, and became a Pro Bowl safety in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons.
That confidence never left the coach even as he continued to mature. It popped up again last month. Former Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel is responsible for helping Eberflus get his first big opportunity in college. The Bears head coach views him as a friend and mentor. Pinkel was thrilled when he heard the big news but still had a coach question ready when his former protege finally called.
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Pinkel’s sons keep him updated on what former Missouri players are up to, so they texted him when Eberflus got the Bears job. Pinkel was driving with a friend when Eberflus called.
“I’m so proud of you,” Pinkel told him. “Do you have a plan in place?”
“You know I do, Coach,” Eberflus said.
Matt Eberflus isn’t coming in blind
He was prepared for this opportunity going back years. A man with a decade combined of coordinating experience. He learned under successful head coaches like Nick Saban, Pinkel, Jason Garrett, and Frank Reich. Four very different personalities who found different ways to win. This educated Eberflus on adapting to situations and doing whatever is necessary to help your players succeed.
This isn’t about offensive or defensive backgrounds. That doesn’t matter. He is not focused on those things anymore. Matt Eberflus is the head coach now. His job is to make the entire Bears team a success. All three phases. That is why he won’t be calling plays. Those duties will rest with his staff. His job is to lead, motivate, and educate. Teach the players what it takes to be great both on and off the field.
He even has a ready-made philosophy to guide the way.
Scott at the H.I.T.S principles all you want. What matters is that Eberflus truly believes in it with every fiber of his being. Hustle, intensity, takeaways, and smarts lead to success on the football field. When the head coach buys into it 100%, history shows that players will follow.
