With the 2021 season finally behind us, the Jacksonville Jaguars can fully turn their attention to what is the most important coaching search in franchise history. After essentially wasting Trevor Lawrence’s rookie season, the team desperately needs to find the right coach to lead this locker room.
Most of the candidates that the Jags are targeting are offensive-minded coaches, but one of the exceptions is Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. He’s considered to be one of the best assistants in the NFL, and though he delayed the interview process until after Week 18, he’s set to interview for the Jacksonville job on Saturday.
The #Bears put in an interview request for #Colts DC Matt Eberflus, source said.
One of the NFL's most respected assistants, Eberflus also will interview with the #Jaguars on Saturday.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 11, 2022
Eberflus reportedly wanted to avoid distractions as Indianapolis entered the regular-season finale against the Jaguars with a playoff spot on the line. Jacksonville’s stunning win — which eliminated the Colts from contention — made that a non-factor moving forward.
The Jags may have some competition if Eberflus is among the top targets, as the Chicago Bears also put in an interview request for Eberflus shortly after firing coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace. He has been a head coaching candidate before, having interviewed with the Houston Texans, New York Jets, and Los Angeles Chargers last cycle.
Eberflus has held his role in Indianapolis since 2018 after a stint as the linebackers coach for the Cowboys from 2011-17, also serving as their passing game coordinator in his final two seasons. He was also the linebackers coach in Cleveland from 2009-10 after a lengthy career at the college level, where he was Missouri’s defensive coordinator from 2001-08.
Considering the importance of developing Lawrence, it seems unlikely that the team goes with a defensive head coach. But if it does, Eberflus is likely the top option, and he’s a guy that’s primed to be a head coach sooner rather than later.