Matt Eberflus seems to be a potential defensive coordinator option for the Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys offseason finally has a direction. Their head coaching search came to an end on Friday night with the official hiring of Brian Schottenheimer, giving the offensive coordinator of the last two seasons his first ever promotion to the head coaching ranks of the NFL.
The next order of business is filling out Schottenheimer’s staff as quickly as possible, which will require much more than just hiring a new OC and DC. Assistant head coach and secondary coach Al Harris got away to the Chicago Bears to join Ben Johnson’s new staff as passing game coordinator, and now a former Bears coach is reportedly in consideration to return to the Cowboys as defensive coordinator.
Sources consider former #Bears head coach Matt Eberflus a prime candidate for the #Cowboys defensive coordinator job under new coach Brian Schottenheimer, per sources. Eberflus was a Cowboys assistant from 2011-17. pic.twitter.com/tIPvtLA6II
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 25, 2025
The #DallasCowboys and Matt Eberflus have discussed the defensive coordinator opening and he is considered the favorite for the job heading into the interview process, per team source.
League rules require a process. Eberflus is expected to be the guy at the end. pic.twitter.com/CPX8VMRTvn
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) January 25, 2025
Eberflus served as the team’s linebackers coach from 2011-15 and passing game coordinator from 2016-17. There was some positive buzz about Eberflus as a potential fast riser through the coaching ranks over this entire period of time working with the Cowboys linebackers, and he left Dallas to be the Colts defensive coordinator in 2018. In his first season with Indianapolis, Eberflus’ Colts defense shut out the Cowboys 23-0 at home in week 15.
After three seasons of his first coordinator job, Eberflus was named head coach of the Chicago Bears. His midyear firing from the Bears this past season was very public and frankly embarrassing for the franchise, with the final straw being a Thanksgiving loss to the Lions marred by terrible late-game clock management. It was one loss as part of a bigger 10-game losing streak the Bears wouldn’t snap until the final game of the season at the Packers.
The Cowboys clearly believe Schottenheimer gives them the best chance to rebuild a strong offense around Dak Prescott again, and could now be looking inward once again at a former coach to maintain the defense.
Eberflus would be the second straight defensive coordinator for the Cowboys with previous coaching experience for the team, following Mike Zimmer’s one-year tenure. With Eberflus’ specialty as far as position coaching being linebackers, and the Cowboys finding some of their few bright spots from the 2024 season here in rookie Marist Liufau and Demarvion Overshown (who’s next season is in jeopardy after another knee injury), this is a reunion that makes some sense. We will see if, similarly to Schottenheimer’s freshly inked four-year deal, the Cowboys can drive this one “across the finish line”.
