How Ryan Poles Learned Trash-Talking Matt Eberflus Is A Mistake

Matt Eberflus was not the name Chicago Bears fans expected when they hired their next head coach. GM Ryan Poles explained at the time that he wanted somebody who embodied what Lovie Smith used to bring to the table. He wanted a head coach that demanded effort, intensity, and discipline. He also needed to understand how to deal with various personalities in the locker room. Poles knew Eberflus from a random meeting on the golf course a few years ago. That was how he became first aware of the coach. Their personalities clicked.

Then he watched Eberflus have sustained success as a defensive coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts. After meeting again for an interview last off-season, Poles knew he had his guy. He's even more convinced since then. Despite the 3-14 record last year, the GM was proud of how the team kept playing hard even at the end of the season. That served as a window into strengths he didn't know Eberflus had. Strengths that Poles learned about the hard way when the two would often golf together, according to Gabby Hajduk of Chicagobears.com.

It was how he learned that trash-talking the Bears head coach was never a good idea.

While Poles knows better than to trash talk Eberflus, he enjoys when his friends play against the coach and try to chirp him. Eberflus inevitably ends up winning and Poles' friends will come back and say, "You've got to be kidding me. I actually thought I was going to beat him."

Because the game of golf requires a levelheaded mindset and attention to detail, the traits that first drew Poles to Eberflus in the hiring process always resurface on the course.

"Every time we go out, it stands out to me either on one side of the nine or the 18, he's struggling," Poles said. "But he never gets flustered, and he always has a really good other side. So it's just his mental toughness. And then he's super, super competitive."

Ryan Poles knows the public face isn't the real Eberflus.

While the head coach projects a calm, forthright demeanor in interviews and press conferences, he is a far different animal on the field. The man is intense and competitive. He's not afraid to get stern with players, raising his voice if he feels they're slacking in some capacity. Then, when the games start, he never changes his expression. It's all about keeping calm in chaotic situations. This would explain why the Bears stayed close in so many games against better teams like the Giants, Dolphins, Vikings, Lions, and Eagles.

This time, Ryan Poles knows Eberflus has the tools to turn some of those tight losses into wins. While the Bears' roster remains a work in progress, it is significantly deeper and more talented than it was a season ago. If they play with the same effort and intensity as last year, this team will have a far better record in 2023. Maybe not playoff-worthy, but one that signals they're headed in the right direction. It's nice to hear the Bears have a coach who seems to relish the competition.