Chicago Bears signal change with hire of Matt Eberflus as head coach

The Chicago Bears have decided on their next head coach as the team has reached an agreement with now former Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. For Eberflus, this will be his first head coaching position in the NFL.

The Bears had an extensive list of head coaching candidates to replace Matt Nagy. After the Bears tabbed Ryan Poles as their new general manager on Tuesday, Poles proceeded to have final interviews with Eberflus, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell.

Eberflus will certainly represent a change of pace for the Bears from Nagy. After the Bears made the decision to move on from Nagy, the idea was that the team would be seeking an offensive minded head coach that can get the most out of quarterback Justin Fields. Eberflus, with a defensive background, would seemingly go against that mold.

When Eberflus was first mentioned as a candidate for the Bears’ head coaching vacancy, it was met with criticism. Criticism because of the affiliation that Eberflus had with Bill Polian. Polian was the consultant that the Bears had brought in to oversee the search for their new general manager and head coach. With Polian being a former member of the Colts’ organization, there was speculation that Eberflus would be forced upon Poles.

The hire of Matt Eberflus as their new head coach will provide the Chicago Bears with much needed change for the culture of their organization.

The encouraging take away from the Bears hiring Eberflus as their next head coach is that this would appear to be Poles’ decision. While Eberflus and Polian do share the Colts’ connection, reports over the past couple of days have suggested that the candidates were already discussions prior to their final interviews with the team. Meanwhile, it has been speculated that Polian was endorsing Caldwell.

The task at hand for Eberflus will now be to construct a coaching staff. Most importantly, Eberflus is going to need an offensive coordinator that gets the most out of Fields. As recent trends have suggested, a head coach that can operate as a CEO-type is often going to lead to the most success. That was the case with the Buffalo Bills when they hired Sean McDermott as their head coach. McDermott hired Brian Daboll as his offensive coordinator and it was Daboll that oversaw the development of Josh Allen into a top tier quarterback in the NFL. If Eberflus can find that same type of coordinator for Fields, then the Bears will be set-up for long-term success.

Eberflus, at the age of 51, will be a perfect pairing with Poles. The Chicago Bears now have both a general manager and head coach that can grow long-term into their respective positions.