Bears’ Matt Eberflus on head coaching debut: ‘It’s always special when you do something for the first time’

The Chicago Bears are trying to get out of their own misery.

Last year’s 6-11 season was pretty disappointing — especially since they didn’t have their own first-round pick, so the Bears rehauled just about everything they could.

They brought in a new general manager in Ryan Poles, who was the Kansas City Chiefs’ executive director of player personnel last year. He brought in Matt Eberflus, who had been the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive coordinator since 2018.

This is Eberflus’ first head coaching gig, and while the Bears aren’t on anyone’s radar, the 52-year-old is going to take it all in this upcoming Sunday.

“It’s always special when you do something for the first time, you’re calling a defense in the NFL for the first time, or back when I called it in college way back when, or when you step into a new role as the head football coach,” Eberflus said Monday.

Eberflus has had many stops in a long career — his career started when he was a student assistant at the University of Toledo in 1992, and he didn’t make an NFL coaching staff until the Cleveland Browns hired him as a linebackers coach in 2009.

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“It’s part of the journey,” he said. “It’s part of your story that you’re writing, that you help write with everybody else that’s helping you. And you certainly reflect on that as you go.”

It’s been a rough go in Chicago — they’ve made the playoffs just twice since the 2010 season, and they have zero Super Bowls (they last won the NFL Championship in 1963).

But along with the new-look front office and coaching staff, they drafted Justin Fields at No. 11 last year, a quarterback who they feel can take them to the promised land.

Third-year wide receiver Darnell Mooney is looking to take another step, and second-year tight end Cole Kmet, too, is hoping for a breakout season. David Montgomery has also been one of the most productive running backs since he entered the league in 2019.

The Bears open up the season at home against the San Francisco 49ers, who were one win away from making their second Super Bowl in three seasons.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.