The 49ers are hiring Matt Eberflus as their assistant head coach of defense, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Eberflus will replace Gus Bradley, who left to become the Titans’ defensive coordinator.
Bradley followed previous 49ers defensive coordinator and new Titans head coach Robert Saleh to Tennessee. Kyle Shanahan then tabbed former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris as Saleh’s successor in San Francisco. This will be Eberflus’ first time working with Shanahan and Morris.
The 55-year-old Eberflus is best known for his two-plus seasons as the Bears’ head coach from 2022-24. After Chicago stumbled to a 14-32 record under Eberflus, general manager Ryan Poles fired him in November 2024.
The Bears hired Eberflus on the heels of an effective showing as the Colts’ defensive coordinator from 2018-21. The Colts boasted top-10 scoring defenses in three of Eberflus’ four years on former head coach Frank Reich‘s staff.
Before going to Indianapolis, Eberflus worked as the Cowboys’ linebackers coach from 2011-17. The Cowboys likely expected Eberflus to channel the success he had in Indy when they reunited with him as their D-coordinator last year. Instead, the hiring proved to be a disaster.
Eberflus’ defense, among the worst in franchise history, did little to nothing well. The unit ranked 23rd in run defense, 26th in sacks, 30th in yards and takeaways, and last in pass defense and scoring. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, COO Stephen Jones and head coach Brian Schottenheimer gave Eberflus public votes of confidence in the first couple months of the season. However, patience officially ran out when they fired Eberflus in the wake of a 7-9-1 campaign.
Now taking on an important role in San Francisco, Eberflus will assist with a defense that held up decently last season despite a rash of injuries. The 49ers went most of the season without their two best defenders, end Nick Bosa and middle linebacker Fred Warner, but still ranked a respectable 13th in scoring. Bosa suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 3, while Warner did not play again after fracturing and dislocating his ankle in Week 6. Those two should return to full strength to play for a new-look defensive staff in 2026.
Only in the NCAA and pro sports can you be terrible at your job & still get new contracts annually.
Connections and relationships will always get candidates hired in any job field.
Pretty sure his clipboard just has a coloring book
LOL
Great news for the rest of the NFC. Poor Raheem Morris, having this clown above him.
I don’t read this to mean he’s above DC.
The Peter Principle is the idea that in a hierarchy, people will be promoted until they reach a level where they’re no longer competent. We see this in the NFL all the time. But it doesn’t mean that a guy is useless at lower positions. Eberflus will never sniff another head coach job, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a capable assistant.
Net-negative move.
The good ol boy network strikes again. Maybe he is good at ordering catering.
I actually had a lot of respect for the 49er’s organization until this move to hire Eberfailure. How absolutely delusional can you be?
You can never have too many fall guys when the wheels fall off 🙂