If you’ve heard the name Matt Eberflus and wondered exactly who he is and what he’s done in football, you’re not alone, especially given how often his name pops up in NFL coaching news. Matt Eberflus is an American football coach with more than three decades of experience, best known in recent years as the former head coach of the Chicago Bears from 2022 to 2024.

Since leaving Chicago, Matt Eberflus has held two more roles, as the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator in 2025 and now as assistant head coach of defense for the San Francisco 49ers in 2026. Below, we’ll cover his complete coaching history, every team he’s worked for, his playing background, and how his Bears tenure actually ended.

Who Is Matt Eberflus?

Matt Eberflus was born on 17 May 1970 in Toledo, Ohio, and is now 56. He attended Whitmer High School in Toledo before playing college football at the University of Toledo, his hometown school, from 1988 to 1991.

As a linebacker at Toledo, Eberflus earned First-Team All-Mid-American Conference honours twice and was later inducted into the Toledo Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004. He graduated with a degree in education in 1993, a detail that fits with his long reputation among players and colleagues as a methodical, disciplined coach rather than a flashy one.

Matt Eberflus Coaching History: The Full Timeline

Coach Eberflus began coaching at his alma mater and has worked his way through college football, then NFL linebackers rooms, then coordinator jobs, before finally reaching a head coaching role. Here’s the complete rundown, in order.

University of Toledo (1992 to 2000)

Eberflus started as a student assistant coach at Toledo in 1992, the same programme he’d just finished playing for. He then became a graduate assistant in 1993, recruiting coordinator and outside linebackers coach from 1994 to 1995, outside linebackers coach again from 1996 to 1998, and finally defensive backs coach from 1999 to 2000. Nearly a decade at his home university gave him the grounding that shaped the rest of his coaching path.

University of Missouri (2001 to 2008)

Eberflus moved up significantly when he became defensive coordinator at the University of Missouri, a role he held from 2001 through 2008. In his final two seasons there, 2007 and 2008, he also carried the added title of associate head coach, a sign of how much trust he’d built within the programme over eight years.

Cleveland Browns (2009 to 2010)

Eberflus made the jump to the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, joining as linebackers coach for two seasons. This was his first taste of coaching at the professional level after 17 years in college football.

Dallas Cowboys, first stint (2011 to 2017)

From 2011 to 2015, Eberflus coached linebackers for the Dallas Cowboys. He then took on an expanded role from 2016 to 2017, combining linebackers coach duties with the title of passing game coordinator on defence. Seven years in Dallas gave him a long, steady run inside one organisation.

Indianapolis Colts (2018 to 2021)

Eberflus became defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts in 2018, a post he held for four seasons through 2021. It was during this stretch that his name started coming up regularly in head coaching search conversations around the league, thanks to Indianapolis fielding some genuinely strong defensive units under his direction.

Chicago Bears (2022 to 2024)

Eberflus was hired as Chicago Bears head coach on 27 January 2022, two days after general manager Ryan Poles took the GM job. It was his first head coaching opportunity at any level after three decades of coaching underneath others.

Dallas Cowboys, second stint (2025)

After Chicago, Eberflus returned to Dallas in January 2025 as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, working under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer. It was a brief stay, lasting only the 2025 season.

San Francisco 49ers (2026 to present)

Eberflus is currently on Kyle Shanahan’s staff with the San Francisco 49ers, hired in March 2026 as assistant head coach of defense. He works alongside defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, in a role previously filled by veteran coach Gus Bradley before Bradley left to join the Tennessee Titans.

Matt Eberflus Defensive Coordinator Years: A Closer Look

Given how often people search specifically for his time as a coordinator, it’s worth pulling those years together in one place. Eberflus served as a defensive coordinator three separate times across his career:

• Missouri (2001 to 2008), his first coordinator role, at college level
• Indianapolis Colts (2018 to 2021), his first NFL coordinator job, widely seen as the platform that led to his Bears hiring
• Dallas Cowboys (2025), a single-season return to coordinator duties after his head coaching spell in Chicago ended

Across these three coordinator stints, Eberflus built a reputation for the Tampa 2 defensive scheme, a system built around disciplined tackling, gap integrity and limiting big plays rather than relying on constant blitzing.

Matt Eberflus Teams Coached: The Complete List

If you’re after a simple list of matt eberflus teams coached, here it is in order:

1. University of Toledo (1992 to 2000)
2. University of Missouri (2001 to 2008)
3. Cleveland Browns (2009 to 2010)
4. Dallas Cowboys, first stint (2011 to 2017)
5. Indianapolis Colts (2018 to 2021)
6. Chicago Bears (2022 to 2024)
7. Dallas Cowboys, second stint (2025)
8. San Francisco 49ers (2026 to present)

That’s eight separate coaching stops across 34 years, spanning both college and NFL football.

What Happened With Matt Eberflus and the Chicago Bears?

This is the part of his career most people are searching for, so it deserves proper detail rather than a quick summary.

The Hiring and Early Seasons

Eberflus was hired as Bears head coach in January 2022. His first two seasons produced a combined 10-24 record, including a 3-14 finish in his debut year. Despite that, general manager Ryan Poles chose to retain him heading into the 2024 season, citing his leadership and stability, and betting on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams (the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft) developing under a settled coaching staff.

The 2024 Season and Firing

Chicago started the 2024 season 4-2, but a last-second Hail Mary loss to Washington sparked a six-game losing streak. That run included a Thanksgiving Day defeat to the Detroit Lions in which Eberflus was widely criticised for failing to call a timeout in the closing seconds, a decision that became the final flashpoint before his dismissal.

Eberflus was fired on 29 November 2024, hours after holding a scheduled press conference in which he said he expected to keep his job. It made him the first head coach in Chicago Bears franchise history to be fired mid-season. Thomas Brown took over as interim head coach for the remainder of the campaign, and the Bears finished the year 5-12.

Matt Eberflus Bears Record: The Final Numbers

Eberflus finished his three seasons in Chicago with a 14-32 regular-season record, a winning percentage of .304, the third-worst in franchise history behind only John Fox and Abe Gibron. His teams never reached the playoffs, and he never got the chance to coach a fourth season. One notably rough statistic from his tenure is a 5-19 record in one-score games, reportedly the worst mark in NFL history for a coach with at least 20 such games.

Common Misspellings: Everflus, Eberfluss and More

If you’ve landed here after searching matt everflus, everflus, matt eberlfus, mat eberflus, or matt eberfluss, you’re in the right place. His surname is spelled Eberflus, pronounced roughly “EE-bur-flooss,” and all of the above are simply common misspellings of the same name.

Where Is Matt Eberflus Now?

As of 2026, Matt Eberflus is assistant head coach of defense for the San Francisco 49ers, working under head coach Kyle Shanahan and alongside defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. He joined the 49ers roughly two months after being let go by the Cowboys, giving him a fresh defensive role without the pressure of running an entire team.

Given his history, don’t be surprised if his name resurfaces in future head coaching or coordinator searches, since teams have continued to value his defensive background even after the Bears tenure ended the way it did.

FAQ:

What teams has Matt Eberflus coached?

Eberflus has coached at the University of Toledo, University of Missouri, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys (two separate stints), Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and San Francisco 49ers across a career spanning 1992 to the present.

What was Matt Eberflus’s record with the Bears?

He finished his three seasons as Chicago Bears head coach with a 14-32 regular-season record, a .304 winning percentage, and no playoff appearances.

Why was Matt Eberflus fired by the Bears?

He was fired on 29 November 2024 following a six-game losing streak, with widely criticised clock management in a Thanksgiving Day loss to Detroit cited as the final trigger, making him the first Bears head coach fired mid-season in franchise history.

Is Matt Eberflus still coaching in the NFL?

Yes, as of 2026 he’s assistant head coach of defense for the San Francisco 49ers, having joined the team’s staff in March 2026 after his 2025 season as Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator ended in his dismissal.

What defensive scheme is Matt Eberflus known for?

He’s closely associated with the Tampa 2 scheme, a system built around disciplined tackling and limiting big plays, developed during his years coaching linebackers and as a defensive coordinator.

Did Matt Eberflus play in the NFL?

No, he played college football as a linebacker at the University of Toledo from 1988 to 1991 and moved straight into coaching afterwards rather than playing professionally.

How long was Matt Eberflus a defensive coordinator before becoming a head coach?

He spent 12 seasons as a defensive coordinator across two stops, eight years at Missouri (2001 to 2008) and four years with the Indianapolis Colts (2018 to 2021), before being hired as Bears head coach in 2022.

Why did Matt Eberflus leave the Dallas Cowboys in 2026?

He was fired as Cowboys defensive coordinator on 6 January 2026 after one season, with the team citing a defensive performance that included a franchise-low interception total, before he joined the 49ers two months later.