The Chicago Bears have hired Matt Eberflus as their new defensive coordinator after he spent the previous six years with the Indianapolis Colts. In a recent interview, Eberflus explained his journey from collegiate to NFL coach.
The “chicago bears head coach” is Matt Eberflus, who was born to coach. He has been the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts since 2013. The Bears are counting on his passion, consistency and experience.
In 2013, when Monte Kiffin was interviewing for the position of defensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys, club owner/general manager Jerry Jones and his staff urged that he speak with the organization’s up-and-coming linebackers coach, who was contemplating his own future.
Kiffin followed through, sitting Matt Eberflus in front of his office’s dry erase board and probing his brain on defensive tactics, methods, coaching philosophies, and practice plans.
Kiffin claimed he was blown away after roughly an hour.
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“After we finished talking a little bit, I said to myself, ‘This man can coach.’” He was destined to be a coach,”‘ says the author. Kiffin remembers something. “It’s not something everyone can say, but I could tell this guy’s had it.”
Kiffin made the obvious option to retain Eberflus on his staff after being appointed as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator to replace the dismissed Rob Ryan.
Eberflus, who spent the previous four years as the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive coordinator, made a similar impact on new Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who chose the 51-year-old as the team’s next head coach, nine years later.
The appointment of Eberflus is a head-scratcher for some Bears supporters, based on their first response. They perceive Justin Fields as a young, promising quarterback who, they believe, would benefit from the growth and guidance of a “offensive-minded” head coach, like as Andy Reid with Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow with Zac Taylor.
Only time will tell whether Chicago’s decision to fire Eberflus was the correct one. But, according to numerous important NFL officials who understood it was just a matter of time before he had this type of chance, Eberflus’ leadership style and consistency are precisely the kind of winning recipe the Bears need.
Nick Saban got his first head coaching job in 1990, when he took over a University of Toledo squad that was headed by a hard-nosed junior linebacker from neighboring Whitmer High School. Eberflus led the team in tackles and earned All-Mid-American Conference honors that season, Saban’s last season as head coach of the Rockets before moving to the NFL to become the defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns.
In 1991, Toledo hired Gary Pinkel, a college classmate of Saban’s at Kent State, as their new head coach, and Pinkel was instantly impressed by Eberflus’ presence.
Pinkel described him as “outstanding.” “You could tell he was a ‘G.I. Joe’ sort of person.” You simply keep an eye on a man like him because he liked football and the preparation.”
As a senior, Eberflus flourished, earning All-MAC honors for the second year in a row. He joined Pinkel’s coaching staff the next year, first as a student assistant, then as an outside linebackers and defensive backs coach.
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“You could tell right away. And he is probably one of the quickest men I’ve ever seen understand it,” Marinelli added. “You could see it early because I came in with Lovie Smith and Herm. And when Mike Tomlin walked in, it was like, ‘Wow.’ Joe Berry, too. Those people were all on that [Tampa] crew, and you could see them taking off. And it’s because they really teach you how to play.”
By early 2018, when the Colts’ general manager, Chris Ballard, was seeking to assemble a new coaching staff after the sacking of head coach Chuck Pagano, he had his eye on Eberflus for quite some time.
From 2001 through 2012, Ballard worked for the Bears as a scout and director of pro scouting. Marinelli, who coached on Chicago’s defensive staff from 2009 to 2012, became a personal friend of his when he was there. Marinelli eventually linked Ballard with Eberflus, who had been elevated to the Cowboys’ staff as the passing game coordinator by that time.
Ballard claimed in 2018 that he urged the Colts’ head-coaching candidates to think about hiring Eberflus as their defensive coordinator, but that he didn’t make it a requirement. He was relieved to find that then-Next England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who had agreed to terms to become the Colts’ new head coach, would carry through his promise to bring Eberflus onto his new staff.
Eberflus was hired by the Colts, and McDaniels was given an introduction press conference. McDaniels, on the other hand, phoned Ballard the night before the press conference to inform him that he would not be accepting the position after all.
When Monte Kiffin was hired as Dallas’ defensive coordinator in 2013, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones made sure he had at least a discussion with Eberflus. The linebackers coach remained on Kiffin’s staff. Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press
Ballard and the Colts were taken aback, but they continued their hunt for a new head coach. They eventually settled on Frank Reich, the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, who had just won a Super Bowl. Reich, who was well aware of Eberflus’ abilities from their NFC East rivalry, was more than happy to retain him on as his defensive coordinator.
Eberflus’ profile has continued to rise since then, as he has led an opportunistic Colts defense that has embraced his no-nonsense “alignment, assignment, key” strategy. The Colts have been in the top ten in the NFL in takeaways, interceptions, rushing defense, points allowed, and total yards allowed since 2018.
Eberflus, like Smith before him, now aspires to be a “defensive-minded” head coach who can lead Chicago back to the Super Bowl. However, as the next man up in a long history of great leaders, Eberflus knows he has plenty of support from his coaching peers as he strives to earn the confidence of the Bears’ fervent fan base.
Dungy stated, “Oh sure, I’ve seen that with Mike Tomlin, Herm Edwards, and Coach Marinelli.” “You see men with that leadership ability, who have the title of head coach written all over them.” Matt, no sure, feels the same way.”
