After losing sixstraight games to both NFC East and NFC North opponents, the Chicago Bears announced that Matt Eberflus has been relieved of his duties as Head Coach and elevated Thomas Brown to Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the 2024-25 NFL season.
According to Bears General Manager Ryan Poles, the organization made the decision to move on from Eberflus after meeting with the organization brass this morning.
“This morning, after meeting with George [McCaskey] and Kevin [Warren], we informed Matt of our decision to move in a different direction with the leadership of our football team and the head coaching position,” said Poles. “I thank Matt for his hard work, professionalism and dedication to our organization. We extend our gratitude for his commitment to the Chicago Bears and wish him and his family the best moving forward,” said Poles.
“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,” said Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren.
According to the Bears, Thomas Brown will takeover for Eberflus after leading Chicago’s offense for each of the last three weeks. Under Brown, the unit has produced a league-high 22 third-down conversions and has amassed 46 second-half points scored, third-most in the NFL, since Week 11. Brown previously spent three seasons on the staff of the Los Angeles Rams (2020-22), serving in the role of Assistant Head Coach over his final two seasons. In his first season as Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs (2021), Brown helped lead a Rams unit that collected an NFC West Division title and ended the season with a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, granting the franchise a World Championship.
Brown joined the Bears in 2024 as the Offensive Passing Game Coordinator, one season removed from serving as Offensive Coordinator for the Carolina Panthers (2023), where the 14-year coaching veteran contributed to offensive play-calling efforts, added the Bears.
The Bears said Brown spent his first nine seasons of his coaching tenure at the collegiate level, which included three seasons as Offensive Coordinator at Miami (Fla.), leading the Hurricanes offense from 2016-18. The Decatur, Ga., native prepped collegiately at Georgia, where he finished his career as the fifth-leading rusher in program history, totaling 2,646 career rushing yards, along with 26 total touchdowns.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
