LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- When Ryan Poles walked to baggage claim at O'Hare to begin his second interview to become the Bears’ general manager, team chairman George McCaskey was waiting for him.
McCaskey had paid $3 to park his Honda on the White Sox level of the airport parking garage and meet the man whom he'd officially hire one day later. He was prepared to drive Poles north to Halas Hall.
“I wanted to show him that we care,” McCaskey said.
It was the night of Jan. 24 when Poles touched down in Chicago. McCaskey signed off on his hiring the following morning, completing a process for the Bears’ five-person search committee that included 23 virtual interviews – 13 general manager candidates and 10 head coach candidates – before Poles’ arrival at Halas Hall.
The process played out as McCaskey envisioned. It was a thorough search that first landed the Bears their new general manager and then allowed that individual to select his head coach. Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian guided the Bears to each candidate while team president Ted Phillips, director of player engagement LaMar “Soup” Campbell and senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion Tanesha Wade shared their input with McCaskey, who ultimately owned the final decision.
Once Poles was hired, the search committee stepped aside as he led the interview to hire Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus as the Bears’ new head coach.
“It was kind of a whirlwind for us,” McCaskey said. “Bill brought back two-a-days. We had three interviews in a day. That was a bit of a slog. But the important thing was to get as much information as possible as quickly as possible. Because once we saw the people that we wanted, we had to move quickly.”
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The 36-year-old Poles first met with the Bears’ search committee through videoconference on Jan. 21, two days before the Chiefs’ thrilling victory over the Bills in the AFC divisional round. He was the 11th of 13 general manager candidates to conduct an initial interview with Chicago.
Previously the Chiefs' executive director of player personnel, Poles made an impression on the Bears’ brass by sharing a plan for Chicago that that had similarities to what he helped build in Kansas City.
“We’re going to build through the draft,” Poles said. “We’re going to acquire young, fast and physical football players. We’re going to be selective through free agency and we’re going to connect evaluation with valuation. We’re going to have a relentless approach to fix our weaknesses. We’re going to make great self-awareness of who we are. We’re going to solve problems with open communication and candor. And we’re going to consistently put players in positions to succeed. And the last thing, the most important piece, is we’re going take the North and never give it back.”
During his first interview, the Bears consulted with Poles for a list of candidates he'd covet as head coach. One of the names he mentioned was Eberflus, whom the Bears first interviewed through videoconference on Jan. 15.
Two days prior to the Bears’ first interview with Poles, they'd submitted a request to interview Eberflus in-person at Halas Hall. So McCaskey was struck when he heard Poles mention he wanted to meet with Eberflus. McCaskey envisioned the “partnership” that he believes is imperative between a general manager and head coach.
Last Tuesday, Poles conducted an interview with former Colts and Lions coach Jim Caldwell shortly after he was officially hired. On Wednesday, he led the interviews with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Eberflus.
The Bears then announced the hiring of Eberflus on Thursday, making it clear in the official team statement that Poles led this decision forward.
“This head coach search started way before 2022,” Poles said. “The moment I knew I wanted to be a general manager, I began looking for specific traits that would define a successful head coach. And the results were leadership, poise, emotional intelligence, a development of mindset, discipline, detail, toughness and energy. Those traits are results of many conversations with Hall of Famers, Super Bowl champions, CEOs, players and leaders of life. I was also looking for a brother to create an elite partnership with.
“(Eberflus) just started checking off all the boxes. He described a detailed plan that had depth. He talked about building relationships with players and setting a new standard. And most importantly, he wanted to do all of that with the Chicago Bears.”
Eberflus, 51, was the Colts’ defensive coordinator for the past four years before being hired by the Bears. He guided Indianapolis to a top-10 ranking in takeaways each year, including the second-most in the NFL in 2021. Eberflus plans to shift the Bears from their 3-4 identity to a 4-3 scheme while also incorporating elements that fit his players.
Beyond the defensive identity, Eberflus impressed the Bears with his desire to build a culture.
“We got a lot of good players, a lot of good men, a lot of good character,” Eberflus said. “I just think it comes down to discipline, standards and setting that.”
The hiring of Eberflus went against the grain in this age of the NFL, where head coaches are often hired from an offensive background. Of the 10 candidates whom the Bears interview for their head coach position, five were offensive-oriented while the other five worked mostly on the defensive side.
In turning to Eberflus, the Bears knew they also needed to land the right offensive coordinator to create an identity on that side of the football and develop 22-year-old quarterback Justin Fields. Eberflus took two days to make that hire, tabbing Packers quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy to lead the Bears’ offense.
Getsy first caught Eberflus’ attention while serving as Mississippi State’s offensive coordinator in 2018, and he stayed on Eberflus' radar a year later when he landed with coach Matt LaFleur in Green Bay as quarterbacks coach. The Packers gave Getsy the title of passing game coordinator in 2020, and Eberflus saw his impact in helping build a strong Packers offense around star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Now, Eberflus and Getsy will work together to implement a scheme for Fields and the Bears.
“We’re building the offense around the quarterback, and that’s what you do,” Eberflus said. “You start with the running game and build the pass concepts off what he can do well. Let’s do that, and then let’s grow and grow and grow ... You got to be creative on offense. You just do."
Fields liked hearing that.
“He knows what he wants to do," Fields said. "He has a plan set in stone. I'm really ready to lead with him."
Uncertainty still lies ahead for the organization. Fields' growth and how the Bears fare in rebuilding an aging roster will dictate whether Poles and Eberflus are successful in Chicago. It’s easy to win the press conference. Moving forward, what counts are the results.
On a new day at Halas Hall, McCaskey and the Bears were full of hope.
“We’re very excited about the future,” McCaskey said.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.