Introduction
Matt Eberflus is an American football coach best known for serving as head coach of the Chicago Bears and defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys.
As of August 2026, Eberflus is Assistant Head Coach of Defense for the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers officially list him in that position on their coaching staff. He joined San Francisco in 2026 after spending the 2025 NFL season as defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys.
His career has included college football, NFL linebacker coaching, defensive coordinator jobs and an NFL head-coaching opportunity. His Chicago Bears period ended in November 2024 with a 14–32 record, but he soon returned to defensive coaching and later joined the 49ers.
Matt Eberflus Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Matt Eberflus |
| Date of birth | May 17, 1970 |
| Birthplace | Toledo, Ohio, United States |
| Profession | American football coach |
| College | University of Toledo |
| Playing position | Linebacker |
| Former major role | Chicago Bears head coach |
| Bears head-coaching years | 2022–2024 |
| Bears record | 14–32 |
| 2025 role | Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator |
| Current role | San Francisco 49ers Assistant Head Coach of Defense |
| Current team | San Francisco 49ers |
Professional football records list Eberflus as born on May 17, 1970, in Toledo, Ohio.
Who Is Matt Eberflus?
Matt Eberflus is a longtime American football coach with experience at both the college and NFL levels.
He became especially well known when the Chicago Bears selected him as their head coach in January 2022. Before receiving that opportunity, he had built his reputation mainly on the defensive side of football.
His NFL career has included work with the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers.
Eberflus has spent much of his career coaching linebackers or organising defensive units.
Readers interested in other American sports leadership careers can also read WriteBlog’s profile of Ben Kennedy and his journey from NASCAR driver to sports executive.
What Is Matt Eberflus Doing Now?
As of August 2026, Matt Eberflus works for the San Francisco 49ers as Assistant Head Coach of Defense.
This is important because older pages may still describe him as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator or former Chicago Bears head coach.
Those descriptions are now incomplete.
The official San Francisco 49ers Matt Eberflus coaching profile confirms his current position.
He joined the 49ers after spending one season as Dallas’ defensive coordinator in 2025.
Early Football Background
Eberflus grew up in Toledo, Ohio, and attended the University of Toledo.
Before becoming a coach, he played linebacker for Toledo.
The 49ers’ official biography states that he earned First-Team All-MAC recognition twice and later graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education.
Instead of leaving football after his playing days, he moved almost immediately into coaching.
That decision started a career that has now lasted more than three decades.
Beginning His Coaching Career at Toledo
Eberflus began coaching at his former university.
His early positions included student assistant, graduate assistant, outside linebackers coach and defensive backs coach.
According to his official 49ers biography, he worked at the college level from 1992 through 2008 before moving into the NFL.
Those years gave him experience working with different defensive positions and preparing players for higher levels of competition.
Missouri Defensive Coordinator
After his years at Toledo, Eberflus joined the University of Missouri.
He spent eight seasons as Missouri’s defensive coordinator from 2001 through 2008.
This was an important part of his career because it gave him long-term responsibility for organising an entire defense rather than coaching only one position group.
His work in college football eventually led to an opportunity in the NFL.
Moving Into the NFL With Cleveland
Eberflus entered the NFL coaching ranks with the Cleveland Browns.
He worked as the Browns’ linebackers coach before moving to the Dallas Cowboys.
The 49ers list Cleveland as his first NFL coaching stop.
The move was an important career step because it took him from college football into the highest professional level of American football.
First Dallas Cowboys Period
Eberflus joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2011.
He initially worked as the team’s linebackers coach.
Later, defensive passing-game responsibilities were added to his role.
His first Dallas period lasted through the 2017 season. The experience gave him several years of NFL defensive coaching before he received his first NFL defensive coordinator position.
Indianapolis Colts Defensive Coordinator
One of the most important periods in Eberflus’s career came with the Indianapolis Colts.
He served as the Colts’ defensive coordinator for four seasons from 2018 through 2021.
That job significantly increased his profile around the NFL.
Rather than coaching only linebackers or one part of a defense, he was responsible for coordinating the wider defensive system.
His Indianapolis experience helped put him in position to interview for NFL head-coaching jobs.
Chicago Bears Head Coach
The Chicago Bears hired Matt Eberflus as their head coach on January 27, 2022.
He arrived in Chicago after his four-year period as Indianapolis’ defensive coordinator.
Becoming an NFL head coach was the biggest promotion of his professional career.
However, the Bears struggled to produce consistent winning results during his time in charge.
Matt Eberflus Bears Record
Eberflus coached 46 regular-season games for Chicago.
His final record was:
14 wins and 32 losses.
Dallas Cowboys reporting later confirmed the 14–32 record from his Chicago tenure.
The Bears did not reach the playoffs while he was their head coach.
Why Did the Bears Fire Matt Eberflus?
Chicago removed Eberflus from the head-coaching position on November 29, 2024.
The decision came after the Bears lost to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving and fell to 4–8 during the 2024 season.
It ended his tenure after 46 games.
Eberflus became the first Bears head coach to be dismissed during a season in the franchise’s long history. His final Chicago record was 14–32.
After leaving Chicago, he reflected publicly on the experience and said he wanted to learn and improve from it rather than leave coaching.
Return to the Dallas Cowboys
Eberflus returned to Dallas as defensive coordinator for the 2025 season.
It was his second period with the Cowboys organisation.
His return did not last long.
Dallas parted ways with him on January 6, 2026, after one season. According to the Cowboys, their defense finished last in the NFL in points allowed per game at 30.1 during the 2025 season.
The result was another difficult career moment, coming a little more than a year after his departure from Chicago.
New Opportunity With the San Francisco 49ers
Eberflus returned to an NFL coaching staff quickly.
In March 2026, he joined the San Francisco 49ers.
His official title is Assistant Head Coach of Defense.
The position allows him to use the experience gained from decades of coaching, including his time as a defensive coordinator and NFL head coach.
For Eberflus, San Francisco represents another chapter rather than an end to his coaching career.
Matt Eberflus Coaching Timeline
Here is a simple view of the major stages of his coaching journey:
| Period | Team/Organisation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1992–2000 | Toledo | Various defensive coaching roles |
| 2001–2008 | Missouri | Defensive coordinator |
| 2009 onward | Cleveland Browns | Linebackers coach |
| 2011–2017 | Dallas Cowboys | Linebackers/defensive coaching roles |
| 2018–2021 | Indianapolis Colts | Defensive coordinator |
| 2022–2024 | Chicago Bears | Head coach |
| 2025 | Dallas Cowboys | Defensive coordinator |
| 2026–present | San Francisco 49ers | Assistant Head Coach of Defense |
The overall progression is confirmed by San Francisco’s official coaching biography.
For another story about a former player who later moved into coaching, readers can explore Shaun Fagan’s football career and coaching journey.
Matt Eberflus Coaching Style
Eberflus’s career has been strongly connected with defensive football.
He has spent years working with linebackers and complete defensive units.
His experience includes teaching individual position groups, coordinating defenses and managing an entire NFL team as head coach.
After leaving Chicago, Eberflus said that one lesson from coaching was the importance of adapting a scheme to the players available rather than expecting every group of players to fit one fixed system.
That experience is now part of what he brings to San Francisco.
Matt Eberflus Family
Eberflus is married to Kelly Eberflus.
The couple have two daughters, Grace and Giada.
Dallas Cowboys reporting confirmed the family details while discussing the period after his departure from the Bears.
He has generally kept the main public focus of his career on football rather than his private family life.
Why Is Matt Eberflus Famous?
Matt Eberflus is mainly famous because of his long NFL coaching career.
The biggest reasons people search for him include:
- He was head coach of the Chicago Bears from 2022 to 2024.
- He previously served as defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts.
- He returned to the Dallas Cowboys as defensive coordinator in 2025.
- Chicago dismissed him during the 2024 NFL season.
- He joined the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff in 2026.
- His current title is Assistant Head Coach of Defense.
His career has therefore included both major promotions and difficult departures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Matt Eberflus?
Matt Eberflus is an American football coach who previously served as head coach of the Chicago Bears and defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys.
What is Matt Eberflus doing now?
As of August 2026, he is Assistant Head Coach of Defense for the San Francisco 49ers.
Is Matt Eberflus the San Francisco 49ers head coach?
No. His official position is Assistant Head Coach of Defense.
Was Matt Eberflus head coach of the Chicago Bears?
Yes. Chicago hired him in January 2022, and his tenure ended in November 2024.
What was Matt Eberflus’s record with the Bears?
His Chicago Bears head-coaching record was 14 wins and 32 losses across 46 games.
Why did Matt Eberflus leave the Dallas Cowboys?
Dallas parted ways with him after the 2025 season. The Cowboys’ defense had finished last in the NFL in points allowed per game at 30.1.
Where did Matt Eberflus coach before Chicago?
Before becoming Bears head coach, he worked for Toledo, Missouri, the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts.
Did Matt Eberflus play football?
Yes. He played linebacker at the University of Toledo and earned First-Team All-MAC recognition twice.
Final Words
Matt Eberflus has spent most of his adult life around American football.
He developed from a college linebacker into a college coach, NFL position coach, defensive coordinator and eventually head coach of the Chicago Bears.
His Bears period ended with a 14–32 record, and his return to Dallas lasted only one season. However, his NFL coaching career continued.
As of August 2026, the clearest answer for anyone searching “Where is Matt Eberflus now?” is simple: he is Assistant Head Coach of Defense for the San Francisco 49ers.
That current role should be used instead of older descriptions listing him as the Bears head coach or Cowboys defensive coordinator.
