A timeline of fired Chicago Bears coach’s tenure

Matt Eberflus became the first Chicago Bears head coach fired midseason Friday when general manager Ryan Poles dismissed him with a 14-32 record, including 2-13 in the NFC North.

Eberflus’ two-plus seasons as coach were filled with distressing losses and missteps as he tried to turn a rebuilding team into a winner. That didn’t happen, and now the Bears turn to interim head coach Thomas Brown to get them through the final five games of the 2024 season.

Here are some of the most notable moments from Eberflus’ tenure.

Bears hire Matt Eberflus as their 17th head coach

Date: Jan. 27, 2022.

The circumstances: Two days after the Bears hired Poles, they announced the hiring of Eberflus. He was one of at least 10 coaches interviewed before Poles was hired, and Poles then interviewed finalists, including Eberflus, Dan Quinn and Jim Caldwell.

Eberflus had been the Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator for four seasons and an NFL and college assistant for decades. Poles cited Eberflus’ experience, passion, character and attention to detail as reasons for the hire. Eberflus introduced his HITS principle to the Chicago public right away. He later brought offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and defensive coordinator Alan Williams on board.

The quote: “He had a high standard for what he wanted out of a team and he had a plan to raise the bar in terms of what we we’re going to become. His passion for the game, his discipline, those are some of the key ingredients to get a team off the ground and headed in the right direction. And then connections to a really good staff as well. That was important. And a plan that wasn’t just short-term, but there was long-term thought into it as well.

“When you know you got one, you got one. And I’m a guy that when I have conviction about it, it’s time to go. That’s kind of how everything fell into place.” — Poles on his conviction in hiring Eberflus

Bears finish the 2022 season with 10 straight losses

Bears coach Matt Eberflus, left, watches the action late in the fourth quarter against the Lions at Ford Field in Detroit on Jan. 1, 2023. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Date: Jan. 8, 2023.

The circumstances: After Poles stripped down the roster to create salary-cap space and gain draft picks, the Bears finished their first season under Eberflus at 3-14. They lost the final 10 games, including a 35-13 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Christmas Eve and a 41-10 loss to the Detroit Lions on New Year’s Day with quarterback Justin Fields at the helm.

The losing was made more palatable because the Bears earned the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, and Eberflus largely was given a public pass because of the state of the roster.

The quote: “When you have adversity like this and there is a lot of losing toward the end of the season, I was blown away by our guys’ ability to stick together. They practiced with energy and I think that’s rare, but it speaks volumes on their character and how much they love the game and the buy-in they had for the direction that we’re going.

“I also want to thank our coaches, starting with Eberflus, for keeping everything together. It was cool to see during team meetings throughout the year how authentic he was from a football perspective and getting guys locked in, through adversity, really having a 24-hour rule and for flipping the page to the next one and just attacking it week by week. Was really proud of how he did throughout the season.” — Poles after the season

Defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigns; David Walker is later fired

Date: Sept. 20, 2023.

The circumstances: Williams, whom Eberflus brought with him from Indianapolis, mysteriously resigned in Week 3 of the 2023 season. The Bears offered few explanations, saying only it was “personal,” but sources later told the Tribune it was for conduct-related reasons.

Less than two months later, the Bears fired running backs coach Walker, also for conduct-related reasons. After the Walker firing, Eberflus said the Bears take pride in vetting their coaches, but they moved on when standards weren’t met.

The quote: “The culture in our building is outstanding. The guys work hard every single day. The relationship piece is there. We care about each other.

“We’re working diligently to get this thing turned around. We’re 2-2 in our last four. … We really feel we’re turning the corner there, and we are excited about this week. But to answer your question, our culture is awesome.” — Eberflus after the Walker firing

Justin Fields points to coaching in middle of 4-game losing streak

Injured Bears quarterback Justin Fields and coach Matt Eberflus talk during warmups Oct. 22, 2023, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Date: Sept. 20, 2023.

The circumstances: On the same day Williams resigned, the Bears had another fire to put out when Fields said he was playing “robotic.” When asked why he was thinking too much during plays, Fields said, “Could be coaching I think.”

Fields’ explanation for what was going on with the staff and Getsy was more layered than that, but the headline caught eyes. The Bears lost their first four games, including a deflating 38-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers in their first season opener without Aaron Rodgers.

The quote: “They are doing their job when they are giving me what to look at. But at the end of the day, I can’t be thinking about that when the game comes. I prepare myself throughout the week and then when the game comes, it’s time to play free. (It’s) thinking less and playing more.” — Fields on his coaches

Bears win 5 of last 8; Ryan Poles retains Eberflus

Date: Jan. 10, 2024.

The circumstances: After starting the 2023 season 2-7, the Bears went on a hot streak against mediocre competition to win five of their final eight games. Speculation had been building that Eberflus’ job could be in question. But three days after the season, Poles said Eberflus’ stability, adaptability and leadership were reasons to keep him on board for the next stage of the rebuild.

Getsy, however, was fired after failing to get Fields and the passing game where it needed to be.

The quote: “The stability was a big piece of it. The detail that he coaches with. Taking some of the mistakes from the game, bringing them to practice and making sure that we’re doing things the right way, I saw a lot of progress in that.

“There’s a reason why we went from three to seven wins. The player aspect of it is important but also the detail and bringing the team together. Sticking through those hard times allowed us to push through, and you saw a lot of those wins happening toward the back end of the season.” — Poles on why he retained Eberflus

Bears hire Shane Waldron, prepare to pair him with rookie QB Caleb Williams

Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron talks to quarterback Caleb Williams on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Cardinals on Nov. 3, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Date: Jan. 22, 2024.

The circumstances: After an interview spree that included nine offensive coordinator candidates, including several who have gone on to success with other teams this season, Eberflus landed on Waldron, the former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator. He cited Waldron’s creativity, adaptability, teaching prowess and passion for the game as draws.

The Bears then had Waldron become a big part of their predraft process as they moved on from Fields and prepared to draft Williams with the No. 1 pick.

The quote: “Having someone like Shane that’s been in different positions with different QBs at different learning stages, it only (helps) me. … It’s a learning process for me, so I have to put in the work, but also know that I have someone and a support team and staff around me to help me and keep growing throughout the process.” — Williams after the Bears drafted him

Bears lose to Washington Commanders on Hail Mary

Bears coach Matt Eberflus walks off after a loss to the Commanders on Oct. 27, 2024, in Landover, Md. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Date: Oct. 27, 2024.

The circumstances: This will become known as the game that broke the 2024 Bears. There had been red flags earlier in the season, including when players felt the need to step in and ask Waldron to coach them harder. And there was some controversy with Waldron, who chose to hand off to offensive lineman Doug Kramer on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Kramer fumbled, and the Commanders recovered.

But the biggest issues came on the final drive. Eberflus didn’t have his players defend the sidelines on the second-to-last play, allowing the Commanders to complete a quick out route and move closer to the end zone. On the final play, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was interacting with the crowd when quarterback Jayden Daniels started the play and was out of position when Daniels completed the 52-yard touchdown pass to Noah Brown.

The Bears spent the entire next week explaining their decisions — including why Eberflus didn’t call a timeout — and their handling of Stevenson. Multiple players publicly questioned in-game decisions.

The quote: “I’m going to be the man that I’ve been and the leader I’ve been and just be steady all the way through the process. We’re a team that’s growing and we’re a team that’s getting better and we’ll work through this adversity.” — Eberflus on retaining belief from his players

Bears fire offensive coordinator Shane Waldron

Date: Nov. 12, 2024.

The circumstances: In the midst of an eight-quarter, 23-possession stretch without a touchdown, the Bears fired Waldron and promoted passing game coordinator Thomas Brown to offensive coordinator. In nine games, Waldron’s offense ranked 30th in the NFL with 277.7 yards per game. His departure came after a 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots in which the Bears managed just 142 yards and went 1-for-14 on third down.

The quote: “I would say (he was) just probably too nice of a guy. I think during OTAs and training camp, he kind of fell into a trap of letting things go. Not holding people accountable. Obviously those things lead to a slippery slope.” — Wide receiver Keenan Allen on Waldron

Bears lose three straight division games to end Eberflus’ tenure

1 of 61

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) yells to the sideline that his helmet communication system is not working in the final drive against the Lions at Ford Field on Nov. 28, 2024, in Detroit. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Expand

Date: Nov. 28, 2024.

The circumstances: The end for Eberflus came when the Bears lost three straight NFC North games on the final play. It started with a 20-19 loss to the Packers in which Cairo Santos’ field-goal attempt was blocked. Eberflus’ decision not to run a play on second down to get Santos closer than 46 yards came under heavy scrutiny.

The Bears then lost 30-27 in overtime to the Minnesota Vikings and 23-20 to the Lions on Thanksgiving. The latter loss came when the Bears got off only one play — a Williams incompletion — with 32 seconds to play and a timeout left at the Lions 41-yard line. Eberflus wanted Williams to run a play to the middle of the field so they could call a timeout to set up a tying field goal, but the Bears ran out of time.

The quote: “I think we handled it the right way.” — Eberflus after the game on the final sequence

Bears fire Eberflus

Date: Nov. 29, 2024.

The circumstances: Amid a firestorm of criticism and calls for Eberflus’ job in local and national media after the botched ending versus the Lions, the Bears let the coach do his Friday morning news conference with reporters. During that session on Zoom, Eberflus said he felt “confident” he would be preparing next week for the San Francisco 49ers. A couple of hours later, the Bears announced they had fired Eberflus and Brown would be the interim head coach.

The quote: “I support Ryan and the decision that was made this morning. We understand how imperative the head coaching role is for building and maintaining a championship-caliber team, leading our players and our organization. Our fans have stood by us and persevered through every challenge, and they deserve better results. Our organizational and operational structure is strong, focused, aligned and energized for the future.” — President Kevin Warren on Poles’ decision to fire Eberflus

A timeline of fired Chicago Bears coach’s tenure

Byadmin

Bears hire Matt Eberflus as their 17th head coach

Bears finish the 2022 season with 10 straight losses

Defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigns; David Walker is later fired

Justin Fields points to coaching in middle of 4-game losing streak

Bears win 5 of last 8; Ryan Poles retains Eberflus

Bears hire Shane Waldron, prepare to pair him with rookie QB Caleb Williams

Bears lose to Washington Commanders on Hail Mary

Bears fire offensive coordinator Shane Waldron

Bears lose three straight division games to end Eberflus’ tenure

Bears fire Eberflus

By admin

Related Post

Why are we still friends? – Chicago Tribune

Daily Horoscope for December 02, 2024 – Chicago Tribune

6 takeaways from 6-3 loss to Columbus

You missed

How giant ‘batteries’ in the Earth could slash your electricity bills

Guinea football crush kills dozens in N’zérékoré

Why are we still friends? – Chicago Tribune

Lawmakers Accuse Scottsdale Of Adding Red Tape In New Housing Laws – Arizona Daily Independent

Consumers Advisory