Daaa Bears have found their new coach.
The Chicago Bears will hire Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus as their head coach, per reports Thursday. Eberflus faces the tough task of helping push along the franchise and moving past the Matt Nagy era at Soldier Field.
MORE: Eberflus is walking into a very desirable head-coaching position
Eberflus was a hot coaching candidate in 2021, as well, interviewing with the Jets and Chargers after the end of the Indianapolis season last year.
Jim Caldwell and Dan Quinn were both reportedly in the running for the Bears job, as well, but Eberflus eventually got the nod. Here's why Chicago ultimately settled on Eberflus as their next bench boss:
Why did the Bears hire Matt Eberflus?
More than scheme or results, Eberflus brings with him a reputation of being a good developer of young players and a leader. That's not to diminish what his defenses have done, though.
Since his arrival in Indianapolis in 2019, Eberflus' defenses have ranked top-10 in forcing turnovers in each season, not exactly an easy task. They've also ranked top-10 in scoring in three out of four seasons.
Hearing that Matt Eberflus is a "good teacher," "organized," "a good communicator" with "attention to detail." "Great hire."
— Mark Potash (@MarkPotash) January 27, 2022
Defensive coaches don't get as much run as head coaching candidates in the offense-heavy NFL now, but the Bears seemed to be slanting defense in their coaching search. They hired Eeberflus, but also had Dan Quinn on their radar.
Jim Caldwell, who comes from an offensive background, was also in the running for the top spot.
Arguably the most important factor in the Eberflus hire is who he'll be hiring on the offensive side of the ball to help develop quarterback Justin Fields. Matt Nagy, the man he will replace, failed to help both Mitchell Trubisky and Fields grow during his Chicago tenure.