After Thomas Brown was named the Bears’ interim head coach and before he flew home to see his family, he met with Matt Eberflus.
After being fired, Eberflus offered him advice during a meeting inside Halas Hall. Brown kept those words private but said he appreciated the sentiment, given the difficult situation Eberflus was going through.
“I do appreciate that conversation, which — he didn’t have to do that,” Brown said Monday. “He was great to me.”
Brown tried to relax as much as he could over the weekend.
“There were some thoughts going through my brain that probably weren’t there before,” he said. “I’m excited about the opportunity.”
He got to think over his new job in a familiar place. The Bears had long ago given players and coaches the weekend off. Brown was set to travel to his home in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area, where his wife and three sons live. He hadn’t been home since the season began, and he’d only seen his family once.
Bears chairman George McCaskey, president/CEO Kevin Warren and general manager Ryan Poles offered him the job after they fired Eberflus on Friday. Brown showed them a detailed list of ways he’d be able to maximize his time, a source said, which made the trio all that more comfortable with the move.
After being named the interim coach, Brown met with the Bears’ coaches and staff members. And then Brown hopped on a 4 p.m. flight to go see his family. He returned Sunday; players came back to Halas Hall on Monday.
“I had a chance to go home and spend time with them,” he said. “Which is my motivation, my support system. And so I had a really good time with them. … Always great to spend time with my family.”
