Why Matt Eberflus? Ryan Poles Finally Gave The Real Reason

The decision by new GM Ryan Poles to hire Matt Eberflus as Chicago Bears head coach was a surprise. Poles was an offensive lineman. He’d just watched an offensive-minded specialist in Andy Reid lead the Kansas City Chiefs to the Super Bowl by morphing Patrick Mahomes into a superstar. He had Justin Fields on the roster. Everybody thought it was a foregone conclusion that the Bears would target an offensive guy. Yet Poles not only hired Eberflus, a defensive coordinator but did so only two days after taking his own job.

That leads one to suspect other forces were at play. It was as if Poles had Eberflus circled for far longer than people realized. Now there is actual validation of this theory. Adam Jahns of The Athletic conducted an in-depth interview with Poles and people who know him to form a profile on his life and career. People might be shocked to learn the genesis of the Eberflus hire actually began 14 years ago during a hot summer in Bourbonnais.

It was an experience Poles never forgot.

His NFL dream ended at final cuts, but what resonated with Poles then — and what stuck with him long afterward — is how the Bears practiced under then-coach Lovie Smith.

“The relentlessness, the finish — there would be balls that would be tipped and go to the other field and all 11 would be sprinting to it, picking it up and running to the end zone,” Poles said. “There was a purpose. There’s a standard for how they practiced.”

It’s how Poles, the Bears’ first-year general manager, wants his team to look today. It’s what attracted him to coach Matt Eberflus, an extension of the Tony Dungy/Smith coaching tree through Eberflus’ time with former Dungy/Smith assistant Rod Marinelli in Dallas.

“It’s not even really an offense-defense thing,” Poles said. “It’s really a demand to do things the right way. And I think from there, you can build that foundation and grow from that. That’s important.”

Now it all makes sense. Poles was an undrafted rookie in 2008 for the Bears. He got the full experience of Smith’s coaching style. While he didn’t make the team, he knew even then such an approach would lead to success. That was likely reinforced after he joined the Chiefs as a scout a year later and endured the Todd Haley and Romeo Crennel eras. Eberflus was mentored by Rod Marinelli, who, like Smith, comes from the Tony Dungy coaching tree. The standard remains the same. Everybody practices the little details. No loafing allowed.

Ryan Poles also understands his history.

People have no business criticizing Smith. The man had more success in Chicago than any head coach of the past 30 years. He went 81-63 during his tenure, including three division titles and a Super Bowl appearance. It was accomplished despite sharing a division with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers while never having a genuine franchise quarterback of his own. Mike Ditka may get the reverence because he won a championship, but Smith probably did a better coaching job if you compare the two situations.

Eberflus was ready for this opportunity. He’d spent a decade in the NFL as an assistant, including four years as a successful coordinator. He came in with a plan and knew exactly how to execute it. The results are already showing up. Better execution. Fewer penalties. Everybody is going 100% on every play. This is what Ryan Poles wanted. It is something he’s envisioned for years.