Former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus takes NFC East defensive coordinator job

Matt Eberflus was fired as the Chicago Bears head coach on Nov. 29, but wasn't unemployed for long.

Eberflus will be the next defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Dallas announced the hiring on Tuesday afternoon.

Eberflus emerged as a candidate to be the next Cowboys defensive coordinator and discussed the position late last week. According to ESPN's Ed Werder, Dallas still needed to conduct interviews as required by league rules before making a final decision.

Although the Bears parted ways with Eberflus during the 2024 season, both sides will reunite on the sidelines in 2025. The Bears are scheduled tp face the Cowboys at Soldier Field at some point during the 2025 season as the NFC North will take on the NFC East.

Eberflus isn't a stranger to Dallas. He was a defensive assistant under former Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli on Jason Garrett’s staff from 2011 to 2017 as the Cowboys linebackers coach and passing game coordinator.

The Bears fired Eberflus on Nov. 29, following a bitter 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day.

"I would like to thank the McCaskey family and Ryan Poles for the opportunity to be the head coach of the Chicago Bears," Eberflus said in a statement the day after he was fired. "I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the players for all of their effort, dedication and resilience."

It marked a sharp turn in Chicago Bears franchise history. The Bears had never fired a coach mid-season before. They did when they hired Eberflus.

Eberflus finished his tenure in Chicago with a 14-32 record overall, leaving the franchise with a 4-8 record in an abbreviated 2024 season.

In Dallas, he'll follow in Mike Zimmer's footsteps as a former NFC North coach who was fired and ultimately took the defensive coordinator job in Dallas. Zimmer took over for Dan Quinn after Quinn took the head coaching job in Washington, leading the Commanders to the NFC Championship game this weekend against the Eagles.

BearsSports