Matt Eberflus is heading to the San Francisco 49ers as their new assistant head coach, giving the team a major boost of experience on the defensive side of the ball. The move comes as part of the usual offseason shuffle around the NFL, where teams look to strengthen not just their rosters but their coaching staffs as well.
For San Francisco, bringing in a coach with roughly 30 years of experience is a clear signal that they’re looking to add more leadership and defensive expertise behind the scenes. With preparations already underway for the upcoming season, the 49ers are hoping Eberflus’ experience can help sharpen a unit that already plays a big role in the team’s success.
Tom Pelissero confirmed the news on X saying, “The 49ers have hired Matt Eberflus as their assistant head coach of defense, per sources. Eberflus — the former Bears head coach and most recently Cowboys defensive coordinator — fills a key role vacated when Gus Bradley left for Tennessee.”
A closer look at Matt Eberflus and what he brings to the table
Matt Eberflus is bringing a long coaching résumé with him to the San Francisco 49ers, and the organization clearly values the experience he’s built over more than three decades in football. His coaching path started at the college level shortly after his playing career as a linebacker at Toledo, where he first stepped into the profession before eventually spending time on the staff at Missouri.
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Eberflus eventually made the jump to the NFL in 2009 with the Cleveland Browns as a linebackers coach. A couple of years later he joined the Dallas Cowboys, where he spent several seasons developing defensive talent and later added passing game coordinator duties to his workload.
His biggest rise came in 2018 when the Indianapolis Colts brought him in as defensive coordinator. That stretch helped build his reputation around the league and eventually led to a head coaching opportunity with the Chicago Bears, where he was in charge from 2022 through 2024.
After that stint, he returned to Dallas for the 2025 season as defensive coordinator before now landing in San Francisco as assistant head coach of defense. The role became available after Gus Bradley left to join Robert Saleh’s staff in Tennessee.
With Raheem Morris overseeing the defense, the 49ers appear to be adding Eberflus more for his veteran perspective and experience rather than handing him full control of the unit.
