Matt Eberflus is no longer an NFL head coach. The Chicago Bears fired him on Friday, November 29th, ousting the third-year HC after the club’s latest disappointing loss to the Detroit Lions.
Why did the Bears part ways with Eberflus, and who’s taking over as interim head coach? Here’s everything you need to know about the coaching change in Chicago.
Why Did the Bears Fire Matt Eberflus?
The Bears had never fired a head coach in-season until today, which demonstrates how frustrated the club’s ownership and front office were with the results that Eberflus had produced in 2024.
Chicago went 10-24 over Eberflus’ first two seasons in charge, but this year was supposed to be different.
Justin Fields was out, and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams was in. New offensive coordinator Shane Waldron came aboard to design a scheme around Williams’ talents, incorporating a WR trio — DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and first-round rookie Rome Odunze — viewed among the NFL’s best.
Moreover, the Bears’ defense — Eberflus’ specialty — showed signs of tremendous growth in 2023, especially after Chicago acquired EDGE Montez Sweat at the deadline. The Bears held six of their final opponents to 20 points or fewer and finished the year eighth in weighted defensive DVOA, which reduces the importance of early-season games.
Despite those expectations, Chicago has floundered in 2024.
Eberflus fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron 10 games into his tenure, parting ways with the ex-Seattle Seahawks OC when the Bears were ranked 25th in offensive efficiency, 27th in success rate, and 30th in scoring.
While Eberflus interviewed other candidates like Liam Coen and Kliff Kingsbury — each of whom is experiencing success with his new club — to take over Chicago’s offense, he landed on Wadron, who failed to optimize DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Seattle.
The Bears’ offense improved under interim OC Thomas Brown, but Week 12 might’ve been the nadir of Eberlus’ tenure in Chicago. Playing in front of a national TV audience on Thanksgiving Day, Eberflus botched a late clock management scenario, denying the Bears a game-tying field goal opportunity against the Detroit Lions.
Eberflus ends his Chicago tenure with a 14-32 regular-season record and no playoff appearances. His .326 winning percentage ranks third-worst in franchise history, ahead of only Abe Gibron (.275, 1972-74) and John Fox (.292, 2015-17).
Eberflus was especially bad in one-score games.
Per Josh Dubow of The Associated Press, Eberflus’ .227 winning percentage (5-17) in games decided by seven or fewer points ranks last among 221 coaches who’ve coached in such games.
Has Eberflus Been Fired Before?
Eberflus had never been fired as a professional football coach until today.
The now-54-year-old replaced Matt Nagy as the Bears’ head coach in 2022 following a successful four-year stint as the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive coordinator. Eberflus was initially supposed to join the Colts’ 2018 staff under incoming head coach Josh McDaniels. After McDaniels reneged on Indy’s offer, Eberflus remained on board under new choice Frank Reich.
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Eberflus coached linebackers for the Dallas Cowboys (2011-15) and Cleveland Browns (2009-10) before landing the Colts’ DC job. His college coaching experience includes stops at Toledo (Eberflus’ alma mater) and Missouri, where he was the defensive coordinator and associate head coach from 2008 to 2010.
Like many fired head coaches, Eberflus could take a season off to assess his NFL future. However, if he wants to coach in 2025, Eberflus should be in high demand for clubs with defensive coordinator vacancies.