Jaguars coaching search: 5 things to know about Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus
For the Jacksonville Jaguars, the hunt for the next head coach is on.
Owner Shad Khan and the Jacksonville front office are searching for a permanent successor to interim coach Darrell Bevell, himself appointed in December after the firing of former University of Florida and Ohio State University coach Urban Meyer.
Whoever takes over the Jaguars job will inherit a multitude of challenges while trying to turn around a franchise that has lost 28 of its last 30 games. But that coach will also land a promising quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Clemson.
Here's a closer look at current Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, among the potential candidates to replace Meyer.
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Matt Eberflus reached playoffs twice as Colts defensive coordinator
For the past four years, Eberflus has served as the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts under head coach Frank Reich. During that time, the Colts have gone 10-6, 7-9, 11-5 and 9-8, all while cycling through four different starting quarterbacks in that span (Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz). The Indy defenses under Eberflus have ranked among the NFL's 10 best in scoring defense in three of his four seasons. They've also won the turnover battle, among the Jaguars' most glaring flaws: The Colts finished first in the league in turnover differential this season and were second in 2020.
Longtime linebackers coach before Colts job
The 51-year-old Eberflus has never before served as a head coach, and prior to 2018, he had never been a defensive coordinator at the NFL level. But he has more than a decade of coaching experience in the league, as linebackers coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2009 and 2010 and then in the same role with the Dallas Cowboys from 2011 to 2017.
Coached 15 years at Toledo, Missouri
Eberflus spent a decade and a half in the college coaching ranks, working his way up from a graduate assistant role at Toledo to become the Rockets' linebackers coach and eventually secondary coach. Then, when Gary Pinkel took over as Missouri's head coach for the 2001 season, Eberflus followed him to the Tigers. He worked as Mizzou's defensive coordinator from 2001 to 2008, winning a pair of Big 12 divisional titles. In his last year at Missouri, the Tigers' third-string quarterback was future Jaguars first-rounder Blaine Gabbert.
Nick Saban coaching tree - sort of
Like Pro Bowlers Jonathan Allen and Trevon Diggs, Matt Eberflus played college football under Nick Saban. Unlike modern-day Alabama stars, though, Eberflus lined up for Saban in 1990 at Toledo, when the future legend was just beginning his head coaching career. A linebacker playing for his hometown school, Eberflus was the Rockets' leading tackler in a two-time All-MAC playing career.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em?
As Jaguars fans have seen, Eberflus hasn't had success coaching in Jacksonville. The Colts are 0-4 in road games against the Jaguars with Eberflus (three at TIAA Bank Field and one in London), and the Indianapolis defense fell completely flat in the Clown Game season finale against the Jags on Jan. 9. Needing only a win against a 2-14 team to make the playoffs, Indianapolis instead gave up 318 yards, failed to force a turnover and got picked apart in perhaps the most effective game yet for Jaguars rookie QB Trevor Lawrence. Eberflus also lost in Jacksonville while on the Cleveland staff on Nov. 21, 2010, although he did get a victory on the First Coast as the Dallas linebackers coach in 2014.
Clayton Freeman covers high school sports and more for the Florida Times-Union. Follow him on Twitter at @CFreemanJAX.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Who is Matt Eberflus, who could be next Jacksonville Jaguars head coach?
