FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys have appointed Matt Eberflus, the former head coach of the Chicago Bears, as their new defensive coordinator, marking his second tenure with the organization. Eberflus’ return comes just two months after he was let go by the Bears, who dismissed him 12 games into his third season following a poor showing that included a mismanaged timeout in a sixth consecutive defeat. His record in Chicago stands at 14 wins and 32 losses.
Additionally, Nick Sorensen has been brought on board as the special teams coordinator, joining the coaching staff led by Brian Schottenheimer, who was recently appointed to take over for Mike McCarthy.
Eberflus was originally brought to the Bears after he completed a successful four-year term as the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts. Prior to that, he had spent seven seasons with the Cowboys as a linebackers coach and eventually took on passing game coordinator responsibilities. At 54 years old, Eberflus has amassed 17 years of experience as a college assistant prior to stepping into the NFL in 2009 with the Cleveland Browns.
Under Eberflus’ leadership, the Colts boasted a top-10 rushing defense throughout his tenure, a critical area that has plagued the Cowboys over the last four seasons under the guidance of previous defensive coordinators Dan Quinn and Mike Zimmer.
On the other hand, Nick Sorensen was released after one season as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. His tenure there saw a notable decline in performance on that front, leading to a disappointing 6-11 finish, following a Super Bowl run the previous year. Prior to his promotion, Sorensen spent two seasons working primarily with the secondary, conducting team meetings aimed at enhancing turnover creation and avoidance. The 49ers ended up in the lower third of the league in takeaways, finishing with only 17.
Sorensen’s history includes a stint on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ staff in 2021, where he worked alongside Schottenheimer when he served as the passing game coordinator. They also collaborated on the Seattle Seahawks’ coaching staff from 2018 to 2020. Sorensen is taking over from John Fassel, who had joined the Cowboys alongside McCarthy in 2020. Fassel had mixed results with the team’s special teams, achieving several notable successes countered with unsuccessful fake punt attempts. Tennessee has since hired Fassel for their equivalent position.
