Former NFC North head coach identified as potential Aaron Glenn replacement

Since their disappointing elimination at the hands of the Washington Chiefs, the Detroit Lions have undergone a radical transformation. Dan Campbell already lost his offensive and defensive coordinators and is at serious risk of several assistant coaches leaving.

How the Lions will fill the massive shoes of Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn remains to be seen. Campbell hasn’t ruled anything out, saying he’s willing to consider both internal and external hires in the process.

Colton Pouncy of Athletic identified these potential candidates in his latest column. A long list of defensive coordinator candidates includes internal options such as linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard, defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend and defensive assistant Jim O’Neil. However, the most fascinating name on the list is a very familiar name to the NFC North Teams.

Former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus was one of the first names mentioned by Pouncy on his list of defensive coordinator candidates.

“Eberflus was often criticized for his game management as a head coach. But there’s no denying he’s a good coordinator … he may not be the leader of men that Glenn was, but he knows how to run a defense. “

– Colton Pouncy, the athletic one

This is a surprising inclusion as Eberflus had a disastrous stint in Chicago over the last three seasons. Since his hiring in the 2022 season, Eberflus struggled mightily as the Bears’ head coach, leading them to a 14-32 record. As a result, he became the first head coach to be fired mid-season in franchise history.

At the same time, we’ve seen plenty of coaches who struggled as a head coach but thrived in a coordinator role. Pouncy stated that Eberflus still knows how to run a defense, even though he failed in certain head coaching aspects.

Eberflus was the defensive coordinator for the Colts for four seasons before leaving for Chicago. In Indianapolis, he led them to back-to-back top-ten finishes on defense, including some of the best defenses in the league. It certainly hasn’t translated to his tenure with the Bears.

There are certainly advantages to hiring an experienced defensive coordinator who knows the division so well. That would make the transition from Aaron Glenn that much easier, but whether or not Eberflus fits the player-centric and motivational stylings of Dan Campbell is another question.

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