Thomas Brown to be put to test as interim Bears head coach next weekend
CHICAGO (CBS) -- On Friday, Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus was finally, yet clumsily, fired after nearly three mistake-filled seasons.
It remains to be seen whether Bears President Kevin Warren and General Manager Ryan Poles handle Eberflus' replacement a little smoother.
Interim Head Coach Thomas Brown—who not long ago was named offensive coordinator after Shane Waldron was also fired from that position—will be in charge next Sunday as the 4-8 Bears take on the San Francisco 49ers and try to snap an eight-game skid.
As to the future, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has long been rumored to be a favorite for the Bears head job. Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who coached Bears quarterback Caleb Williams at UFC, is also on the early list of potential candidates.
One wild-card name that has also emerged is Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame.
Meanwhile, it has been a meteoric rise for Brown, who catapulted from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator to the interim head coach in a span of 17 days.
Ahead of the Bears' game against the Vikings a week ago, Brown provided a confident glimpse of his coaching style that has energized the offense.
"To me always, first and foremost, like play with no fear. We're never going to coach fear, never going to play fear. And so to me, that starts with preparation, because fear and faith only exist in the future—so why fear what hasn't happened yet?" Brown said. "So I think about our guys being able to have confidence in the game plan; to do that based on preparation throughout the week. Then on game day? Let it rip, man. We don't fear failure or mistakes. We learn from those opportunities and continue to keep swinging."
If Brown can full off a strong finish, it would certainly bolster his chances to have the "interim" tag removed from his style.
Brown, 38, previously served as offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers in 2023. From 2020 to 2022, he was assistant head coach and running backs coach for the Los Angeles Rams, and from 2016 to 2018, he was the offensive coordinator for the Miami Hurricanes at the University of Miami in Florida.