(670 The Score) Colts head coach Frank Reich didn't hire Matt Eberflus as his defensive coordinator in 2018.
Eberflus was brought to the Colts by Josh McDaniels, whose hiring as head coach in Indianapolis hadn't become official as McDaniels continued to work for the Patriots during their run to the Super Bowl. After McDaniels backed out from the deal with the Colts after just one day, Reich was hired and inherited Eberflus. They quickly connected over family, faith and football, and a strong partnership was formed over four years together.
It's why Reich was thrilled to see Eberflus hired as the Bears' new head coach last Thursday.
"I just think the world of Matt, personally and professionally," Reich said Tuesday. "Matt's a man who is high conviction, clear vision of what he wants, very process-oriented and knows the standards that it's going to take to get there and just knows what it takes."
In Indianapolis, Eberflus directed a Colts defense that ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in takeaways in each of his four seasons. He worked to implement the vision of general manager Chris Ballard by playing to the strengths of a Cover-2 scheme. Eberflus also proved to be an ideal complement for the offensive-oriented Reich.
Reich could sense from the start that Eberflus had what it takes to be a head coach. That belief stemmed not only from Eberflus' defensive innovation but also how he leads.
Eberflus now steps into the greater challenge of leading the entire team. Reich was in the same situation in 2018 when he was hired to lead the Colts after being the Eagles' offensive coordinator.
"You're not just responsible for one unit," Reich said. "You've got to touch every player on the team. You're not just the offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator. You're the head coach. And so, you've got to be very intentional about how you structure your day and your time to really make sure that you've got your hands on everything. You've got to hire the right people.
"You've got to trust those guys to do their job. You've got to coach the coaches and make sure that they're carrying out the vision that you have, and then that that vision is being carried down to the players. Really, as the head coach, the biggest thing that you've got to make sure that you do is to connect with all the players. Not just the guys that it's easiest to connect with on your side of the ball.
"That's important, and that was a big part of the transition."
Reich was getting lunch in the Colts' team facility Monday when he saw Eberflus speaking at Halas Hall during his introductory press conference with the Bears. He listened for several minutes, hearing Eberflus speak about his principles and leadership style.
For Reich, hearing Eberflus articulate his plan for the Bears all sounded familiar to the man he worked with over the last four years.
"He's very thoughtful and deliberate in his communication," Reich said. "There's not going to be a lot of fluff. He's not going to play games. He's going to be direct. He's going to stick to what he believes in. You're not going to be able to find ways to manipulate him or you're not going to be able to fool him. Strong conviction, clear vision."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
