The Chicago Bears promoted wide receivers coach Chris Beatty to interim offensive coordinator on Monday and announced that defensive coordinator Eric Washington will be the defensive play caller in the wake of last week’s firing of head coach Matt Eberflus.
Interim head coach Thomas Brown will continue to call the offensive plays, albeit from the field. Brown was promoted from passing game coordinator to replace OC Shane Waldron, whom the Bears fired three weeks.
Eberflus, a former DC, was the team’s defensive play caller.
The Bears fired Eberflus on Friday, one day after an excruciating sixth straight defeat and third consecutive loss decided on the final play. Trailing 23-20 on Thanksgiving Day, the Bears were within field-goal range when quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked. With 32 seconds remaining, Eberflus elected not to use his final timeout as Williams heaved an incompletion down the right sideline as time expired.
Eberflus said after the game that everything was handled properly.
Eberflus, 54, went 14-32 in two-plus seasons.
The Bears (4-8) travel to San Francisco (5-7) in Week 1.