Matt Eberflus
Head Coach — Chicago Bears
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About Matt Eberflus
Matt Eberflus coached the Bears from 2022 to 2024 and is remembered primarily for one thing: HITS. That stands for Hustle, Intensity, Takeaways, and Smart football, and Eberflus said it so many times in press conferences that it stopped being a coaching philosophy and became a punchline. He'd lose by 20, walk up to the podium, and talk about HITS like a man reading from a script that only contains four words. The acronym became a meme almost immediately. Fans would post it after losses, after bad play calls, after anything went wrong. "At least we had HITS." Bears Twitter turned it into a coping mechanism and then into a roast.
Eberflus was a defensive-minded coach who presided over a transition period that included drafting Caleb Williams and trying to build a competitive roster before Ben Johnson arrived to actually make it work. His tenure was defined by close losses, clock management issues, and press conferences where he seemed sincerely convinced that the team was improving even when the record suggested otherwise. He had a specific way of standing on the sideline with his hands on his hips, staring at the field like a disappointed father watching his kid's science project fall apart at the fair.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the HITS principle and why did it become a meme?
HITS stands for Hustle, Intensity, Takeaways, and Smart football. Eberflus repeated it in virtually every press conference regardless of context. Win, lose, get blown out by 30, the answer was always HITS. Fans started using it sarcastically after losses, and it became shorthand for a coach who had a slogan but not a plan. The acronym outlasted his tenure and is still referenced whenever the Bears do anything that feels disorganized.
Last updated: April 2026