CHICAGO — Matt Eberflus is the new coach of the Chicago Bears, tasked with turning around a franchise mired in mediocrity for much of the past decade.

The Bears announced Eberflus’ hiring on Thursday night. He spent the past four years as Indianapolis’ defensive coordinator.

The 51-year-old Eberflus called his new job a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“I am truly humbled and honored to be named your head coach and together we will do everything in our power to bring a Super Bowl championship back to Chicago,” he said in a statement.

With Eberflus in charge, Indianapolis’ defense showed marked improvement after ranking among the league’s worst. The Colts ranked eighth on defense in 2020, though they slipped to 16th this season.

Indianapolis missed the playoffs at 9-8, closing with two straight losses when a win in either game would have clinched a postseason berth. The hire is the first big move for new Bears general manager Ryan Poles,

The Bears fired general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy after a 6-11 season, hoping new leadership will lift a struggling franchise. They brought in Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian to lead a five-person search team.