New Bears general manager Ryan Poles on Wednesday interviewed Matt Eberflus and Dan Quinn for the head-coaching position.
Eberflus boasts 13 years of NFL experience, including the past four seasons as Colts defensive coordinator. Inheriting an Indianapolis defense that ranked 30th in the NFL in both scoring and total yards in 2017, Eberflus helped the unit improve to 10th in scoring and 11th in yards in his first year in 2018.
After finishing with a 4-12 record in 2017, the Colts rebounded to earn a wild-card berth with a 10-6 mark in 2018, beating the Texans in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Chiefs in a divisional game.
Eberflus began his NFL career with the Browns as a linebackers coach (2009-10) before spending seven seasons with the Cowboys as linebackers coach (2011-17)—and adding passing game coordinator to his duties in 2016-17.
Before entering the NFL, Eberflus was a college coach for 17 years. He started his career at Toledo, his alma mater, as a student assistant (1992), graduate assistant (1993), outside linebackers coach (1994-98) and defensive backs coach (1999-2000), also serving as recruiting coordinator in 1994-95.
After leaving Toledo, Eberflus spent eight seasons as defensive coordinator at Missouri from 2001-08.
As a player, Eberflus was a four-year letterman and three-year starting linebacker at Toledo. He earned first-team All-MAC honors and led his team in tackles as both a junior and senior. Eberflus earned a degree in education in 1993 and was inducted into Toledo's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.
Quinn possesses 20 years of NFL coaching experience. In six seasons as head coach of the Falcons from 2015-20, he compiled a 43-42 record. In 2016, Atlanta won the NFC West with an 11-5 mark and reached the Super Bowl. The Falcons qualified for the playoffs again in 2017 as a wild card with a 10-6 record.
Quinn completed his first year as Cowboys defensive coordinator in 2021. This season, the Dallas defense ranked seventh in the NFL in points allowed (21.1), and first in interceptions (25) and third-down efficiency (32.2 percent).
Two Cowboys defenders were voted first-team All-Pro and named to the Pro Bowl: Rookie linebacker Micah Parsons registered 84 tackles and ranked sixth in the NFL with 13.0 sacks, while cornerback Trevon Diggs led the league with 11 interceptions.
Quinn began his NFL coaching career with the 49ers as a defensive quality coach (2001-02) before being elevated to defensive line coach (2003-04).
He then worked as defensive line coach with the Dolphins (2005-06), Jets (2007-08) and Seahawks (2009-10), also serving as an assistant head coach with Seattle.
Quinn then served as defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at the University of Florida in 2011-12 before returning to the NFL as Seahawks defensive coordinator in 2013-14.
In 2013, the Seahawks defeated the Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. Seattle was powered by a defense that led the NFL in points allowed (14.4 per game), yards allowed (273.6) and takeaways (39), the first team to accomplish that feat since the famed 1985 Super Bowl champion Bears.
As a player, Quinn was a four-year starting defensive lineman from 1990-93 at Salisbury State University, a Division III school in Maryland.
Poles has now interviewed three candidates for the head-coaching job. He met with Jim Caldwell Tuesday, hours after being hired as Bears general manager.
