Bears Find Their Man In Colts DC Matt Eberflus

It didn't take long for new Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles to make his first splash. Just a few days after Poles arrived from the Kansas City Chiefs, he has decided to hire Matt Eberflus as the Bears' next head coach, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Eberflus, 51, has been the Colts' defensive coordinator since 2018. Before that, he served as linebackers coach with the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns. He was also Missouri's defensive coordinator from 2001-08. This will mark his first head-coaching gig.

Along with former Colts and Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell and current Cowboys DC Dan Quinn, Eberflus was considered one of three finalists for the Bears job. He conducted a second interview with the team, and clearly, Poles left impressed.

The Bears are coming off a 6-11 season, which resulted in the firing of former GM Ryan Pace and ex-coach Matt Nagy. So Poles and Eberflus clearly will have some work to do.

"This represents a reversal of positional background for the affected team. After the Broncos replaced Vic Fangio with an up-and-coming offensive mind in Nathaniel Hackett, Eberflus will bring a celebrated defensive background to the Bears," wrote Adam La Rose of Pro Football Rumors.

The Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints all still have head-coaching openings.

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Sam Amico spent 15 years covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and NBA.com, along with a few other spots, and currently runs his own basketball website on the side, FortyEightMinutes.com.