Chicago Bears Head Coach Fired Mid-Season in Move That Hasn't Happened in 100 Years, Just Hours After He Said He Wasn't Leaving

Matt Eberflus was fired after two years with the Bears following a six-game losing streak and a potentially avoidable loss on Thanksgiving

The Chicago Bears have made franchise history with the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus.

The organization announced that the 54-year-old was relieved of his duties as head coach on Friday, Nov. 29 — just hours after Eberflus told reporters he was "confident" he'd remain with the team through their Dec. 8 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, per the NFL.

The decision marks the first time in more than 100 years that the Bears have fired a head coach mid-season.

Related: Chicago Bears Don't Use Profanity on This Season of HBO's Hard Knocks Out of 'Respect for' Team Owners

In a statement, Bears general manager Ryan Poles said that Eberflus was informed of the team's "decision to move in a different direction with the leadership of our football team and the head-coaching position" this morning.

"I thank Matt for his hard work, professionalism and dedication to our organization. We extend our gratitude for his commitment to the Chicago Bears and wish him and his family the best moving forward," Poles' statement said.

Bears offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will replace Eberflus as interim head coach, per the organization's announcement.

Related: Simone Biles Steals a Kiss from Husband Jonathan Owens Ahead of Bears-Vikings Game

Kevin Warren, president and CEO of the Bears, shared his support for the move in a statement as he said that the team's fans "deserve better results."

Eberflus' firing comes after the Bears narrowly lost (20-23) to the Detroit Lions on Nov. 28 — a loss made more frustrating for fans given that the clock ran out while the Bears still had a timeout remaining that Eberflus failed to use. The defeat followed an equally frustrating performance by the team against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 17 and a narrow overtime loss against the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 24.

The firing is all the more noteworthy given it was announced just after Eberflus reiterated his confidence in his position during a Zoom call with reporters on Friday morning.

"I'm just going to be working on finishing up this game, doing a good job of evaluating that, our after-action report like we always do," he said, per the NFL. "And then I'll be working into San Francisco. Again, those are conversations we'll have, and again I'm confident I'll be working on to San Francisco and getting ready for that game."

Bears fans largely rejoiced after hearing the news that Eberflus had been fired. He leaves his role with a 14-32 record, but he will likely be best known for his final 30 seconds with the Bears.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

During the Fox post-game show, Jimmy Johnson said that the "dysfunction" from the Bears during the final 32 seconds of Thursday's game was something he had "never seen" in "70 years of coaching at all three levels" of football. Commentators Terry Bradshaw, Michael Strahan, Howie Long and Curt Menefee also were shocked by Eberflus' mismanagement.

"They have now lost six straight games in weirder ways, it seems, each and every week," Menefee said of the Bears.