The Bears handled their six-game shedding streak in a means they’ve by no means achieved earlier than — by firing their head coach in the course of the season.
Matt Ebrerflus was fired Friday, in the future after a 23-20 loss to the Lions at Ford Area during which the coach didn’t name a timeout because the clock expired and his group had the ball. He had a 14-32 report in three years with the Bears, the third-worst successful proportion in franchise historical past behind solely Abe Gibron and John Fox.
Eberflus was fired simply hours after conducting a press convention during which he mentioned Halas Corridor was enterprise as standard as he ready for the 49ers. Gamers don’t report again to Halas Corridor till Monday after their scheduled weekend off.
Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, who has known as performs for under three weeks, was named the interim head coach.
In an announcement, common supervisor Ryan Poles mentioned he met with chairman George McCaskey and president/CEO Kevin Warren on Friday morning earlier than they informed Eberflus he was fired.
Warren backed his GM.
“I help Ryan and the choice that was made this morning,” he mentioned in an announcement. “We perceive how crucial the pinnacle teaching position is for constructing and sustaining a championship-caliber group, main our gamers and our group. Our followers have stood by us and persevered by each problem, they usually deserve higher outcomes. Our organizational and operational construction is powerful, centered, aligned and energized for the longer term.”
Eberflus misplaced 14 consecutive video games between 2022 and 2023, nevertheless it was the Bears’ disappointing efficiency this season that doomed the pinnacle coach. After including veterans Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift, Gerald Everett, Kevin Byard and others with hopes of competing for a playoff spot, the Bears fell out of rivalry with a midseason stoop.
The Bears entered the bye with a 4-2 report after scoring 95 factors throughout a three-game win streak towards the bottom-feeding Rams, Panthers and Jaguars. They returned to recreation motion and misplaced in unbelievable vogue, giving up a 52-yard Hail Mary as time expired to the Commanders. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had his again to the play when it started as a result of he was too busy waving on the crowd. He finally sprinted towards the play and leaped for the ball when he ought to have been boxing out Noah Brown, who caught the landing.
The Bears misplaced in Arizona after which to the lowly Patriots at house. That prompted Eberflus to fireside offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, changing him with Brown. That offered an offensive enhance, however the Bears misplaced to the Packers and Vikings nonetheless. The Bears’ game-winning subject aim was blocked by the rival Packers as time expired. They misplaced to the Vikings in additional time. Thursday, Eberflus opted towards utilizing his remaining timeout as quarterback Caleb Williams heaved an incomplete go that hung within the air till time expired.
Waldron was the second coordinator to depart Halas Corridor prior to now two seasons; defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned after inappropriate office exercise final yr. The Bears later fired operating backs coach David Walker for non-football causes.
The Bears have been terrible in shut video games below Eberflus. He gained 22.7% of video games determined by seven factors or fewer. That’s the worst proportion among the many 221 coaches in NFL historical past who’ve performed no less than 20 such video games.
Eberflus struggled with the front-facing a part of the job, stumbling over explanations in press conferences. He made a concerted effort to enhance in that regard this offseason, however nonetheless failed in tamping down the Stevenson controversy and different points.
Simply days after Poles was employed in January 2022, he named Eberflus head coach over finalists Dan Quinn and Jim Caldwell. Bears chairman George McCaskey, then-president Ted Phillips and advisor Invoice Polian had already carried out head coach interviews. They informed Poles the choice was his — whether or not the candidate had interviewed with the Bears or not — and he selected Eberflus. He and the coach share an agent in former Bears star Hint Armstrong.
Poles determined to maintain Eberflus for a 3rd season after he gained 5 of his remaining eight video games final yr. Eberflus fired coordinator Luke Getsy and half the offensive workers.
“We had some adversity early within the season, and thru the center of the season, [Eberflus’] means to face robust and preserve the group collectively was unimaginable,” Poles mentioned after deciding to maintain Eberflus. “His means to adapt and modify as we went alongside, he had a sudden change when it comes to his position, and I assumed we benefitted from that, and I assumed we received higher from that time, and I’m actually completely satisfied for him.”
Lengthy-term, the Bears determine to show to an offensive-minded head coach to work with Williams, the No. 1 total choose of the draft. The Lions’ Ben Johnson figures to be the preferred offensive coordinator on the pinnacle teaching market, adopted by the Texans’ Bobby Slowik. The Bears interviewed Commanders coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who labored with Williams at USC, as effectively Bucs coordinator Liam Cohen, after they appeared to fill Getsy’s job.
Invoice Belichick, who’s chasing the NFL’s all-time wins report, is on the market. So is Mike Vrabel, who went to the playoffs thrice in six years with the Titans earlier than shedding an influence wrestle together with his common supervisor final yr. Each would possibly require intensive personnel management, one thing most GMs are detest to present away.
