(670 The Score) The Cowboys have hired former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus as their new defensive coordinator, Dallas announced Tuesday.
Eberflus, 54, was fired by the Bears on Nov. 29 after going 14-32 in three seasons in Chicago. He became the first head coach in Bears history to be dismissed in the middle of a season.
The Cowboys' appointment of Eberflus comes two months to the date of his final game as the Bears' head coach, a 23-20 loss to the Lions on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field. Eberflus was scrutinized for failing to use his final timeout as the clock ticked inside 30 seconds and toward zero, which left the Bears time to run just one last play as they were nearing field-goal range. That marked Chicago's sixth straight loss along a losing streak that eventually reached 10 games.
Eberflus has history in Dallas. He previously served as the Cowboys' linebackers coach from 2011-'15 and added the title of defensive passing game coordinator from 2016-'17 alongside then-coach Jason Garrett. He'll now join a staff under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer in Dallas and lead a defense that regressed to become one of the NFL's worst units this past season.
Prior to joining the Bears, Eberflus worked as the Colts' defensive coordinator from 2018-'21.
The Bears replaced Eberflus with new head coach Ben Johnson, who was formally introduced by the team last week.
The Bears and Cowboys are scheduled to play a game in Chicago next season.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on X @CEmma670.