Lights, camera, action: While the Bears want to move up, Matt Eberflus wants to improve himself as the face and voice of the organization

Coaches don’t usually change. They talk about adapting and evolving, but rarely do. That’s usually one of the reasons they get fired.

Matt Eberflus, on the other hand, seems determined to move on as he now begins his third season as coach of the Bears. It’s a crucial turning point for the franchise, exacerbated by the arrival of No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams, and his job is on the line.

The team was a mess on and off the field last season, and Eberflus spent a lot of time dodging questions about his future. It took three days after the Bears finished a disappointing 7-10 regular season and were plagued with controversy before they made it clear publicly that they were not going to fire him.

Expectations are higher for the Bears than they have been in years, and it will be hard to justify anything less than a playoff berth as acceptable. It’s imperative that Eberflus proves he’s ready for the moment and shows his bosses that they were right to be patient.

It’s the perfect time for him to come into his own, and everyone will be watching. The Bears will be getting national attention starting next month when HBO’s “Hard Knocks” airs at Halas Hall and everything about Eberflus will be scrutinized. He’ll need to know strategy and management and be the most public person in the organization.

That last part was dangerous for Eberflus, a first-time head coach with little experience dealing with the media when the Bears hired him in 2022. Too many statements were haphazard, too many press conferences went awry and too often he was unable to allay fans’ concerns about whether he had everything under control.

To his credit, he sees that and understands what an important part of his job it is. He has focused on fixing the problem and has emerged as a clearer, more confident communicator in recent months. He seems much more comfortable on the podium, even cracking jokes, and some who work with him at Halas Hall notice a marked difference from last season.

“It’s an adjustment for anyone who becomes a head coach,” Eberflus told the Sun-Times. “You take on a lot of new responsibilities, and one of them is the media aspect. You have to get used to that.”

“Sometimes it’s a little challenging… I feel more comfortable now. I’m just going to be myself in every way.”

It’s obvious that Eberflus, 54, has overhauled his public persona in the offseason. His haircut is sharper, he’s grown a new beard and his wardrobe has been significantly updated. His wife, Kelly, and their college-age daughters were the masterminds behind it all.

Eberflus said he received no counseling or training on public speaking, although it’s notable that the Bears revamped their media department during his tenure, promoting Aaron Clark, who has been with the organization since 2016, to work directly with Eberflus on a daily basis and making a spectacular hire by poaching Ted Crews from the Chiefs.

Eberflus said both had done a “great job” in supporting them.

Crews is at the top of the hierarchy as chief of staff and special adviser to President Kevin Warren, but still works in the communications department. Eberflus has cited him by name as a key player who helped the Bears survive “tough knocks.” He also has valuable experience working for veteran head coach Andy Reid and spent the last few seasons at the center of the NFL’s attention. Eberflus meets with him regularly.

Still, he wouldn’t have made the progress he did if he didn’t want to. If Eberflus had dismissed being the face of the organization as redundant and focused on a single scheme like some coaches have, he would have missed the chance to help himself and the team. Fans and reporters are far less tolerant of problems if they don’t get solid explanations for why they occur and what is being done to fix them.

“It’s really important,” Eberflus said. “My dad always says, ‘How you do one thing is how you do everything.’ So I’m always trying to improve all aspects of my job, whether it’s game management, working with the press, calling the defense or managing the coaches.

“I always look at my improvements like everyone else: these are my strengths, these are the improvements I need, and then I have an action plan to achieve that. It’s no different than any other aspect of my life.”

He did himself no favors in the Bears’ turmoil last season.

None of his answers to the absurd collapses against the Broncos, Lions and Browns calmed fears that something like that could happen again. He added to the drama surrounding former defensive coordinator Alan Williams by dodging simple questions like whether he had spoken to him or whether he was still employed.

Eberflus seemed insensitive after running backs coach David Walker was fired for non-football reasons, praising the Bears’ culture as “great” while calling the 2-2 mark over the last four games a milestone. None of that went down well, as his record fell to 10-24.

When wide receiver Chase Claypool was banished, Eberflus slipped up about why he wasn’t on the bench for a game and left his status with the team unclear, causing the story to simmer for a week instead of being over and done with in a day. A video clip of him talking in circles about whether Justin Fields would play against the Panthers went viral.

Of course the bosses see these slip-ups, but so do the players. They must have flinched. He admitted that what he says publicly “sends a message to the players and fans”.

Eberflus himself has not tried to excuse his mistakes. Towards the end of last season, he told the Sun-Times that there were moments when he left press conferences knowing they went badly and that it was “important to learn from them.”

The Bears will get into more trouble. That’s true of every team. So what will be different for Eberflus the next time he’s on the mic in a tough situation?

“Be yourself and be relaxed and just tell it like it is,” he said. “That’s what I’ve learned. If you just tell it like it is – you may not be able to tell (reporters) every single detail, but what you can tell them is just tell them how it is and how you’re going to overcome the adversity.”

That would help. Coaches often overlook this: Transparency leads to credibility. Trying to convince Bears fans that the latest debacle isn’t as bad as it looks has never worked.

“When you’re speaking to the media in front of the podium, you’re often a little reserved,” he said. “And I don’t think you have to be that way. I just have to be myself.”

Eberflus takes that approach with “Hard Knocks,” which the Bears tried to avoid for years before it was forced upon them for the upcoming training camp. Like it or not, it’s happening, so they have no choice but to embrace it.

Almost everything will be recorded. HBO will install cameras and microphones throughout Halas Hall, and although the Bears will have the final say on what goes into each episode, the series will certainly have an impact on Eberflus’ popularity ratings with the public.

“I’m just going to be relaxed, be myself, let them see who I am as a person and not be reserved and just let it flow naturally,” he said, referring to what he told players in a recent team meeting about the show. “You don’t want people to be clamoring for camera time when ‘Hard Knocks’ comes on. When you’re wearing a microphone, you’re no different.”

That’s the key principle of his makeover: Don’t change just because the lights are on and the cameras are rolling. Lately, he’s loosened up behind the scenes and in public, saying there’s “no doubt” he hasn’t shown as much of his personality since taking office.

That’s a good step. But the best thing he can do for his public image is to win. The best strategy for crisis management is to prevent crises. The best way to avoid uncomfortable questions is to be so good that they don’t arise in the first place.

The Bears’ upcoming season promises to be a lot of fun. But that’s thanks to Eberflus – on the field and on the microphone.

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