As Colts defensive coordinator the past four seasons, new Bears coach Matt Eberflus worked closely with position coaches Alan Williams (defensive backs/safeties) and Dave Borgonzi (linebackers).
On Wednesday, Eberflus added the two assistants to his staff in Chicago—Williams as defensive coordinator and Borgonzi as linebackers coach.
In all four seasons the trio worked together in Indianapolis, the Colts ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in run defense and takeaways. In addition, Indianapolis finished in the top 10 in points allowed three times and was the least penalized defense in the league in 2019 and 2021.
During his introductory press conference Monday, Eberflus said that because he wanted to focus on his head-coaching responsibilities, whoever was hired as defensive coordinator would call plays on that side of the ball.
That role now belongs to Williams, 52, who boasts 30 years of coaching experience, including the last 21 in the NFL. The Virginia native entered the league in 2001 with the Buccaneers as a defensive assistant before spending the next 10 seasons with the Colts as defensive backs coach from 2002-11. He won a Super Bowl ring in 2006 after Indianapolis beat the Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
Williams joined the Vikings as defensive coordinator in 2012-13 and later served as defensive backs/safeties coach with the Lions from 2014-17. He then returned for a second stint in Indianapolis in 2018.
Williams began his coaching career as an assistant at Norview High School in Virginia from 1992-95. He then spent five seasons at William & Mary, his alma mater, coaching running backs (1996-97) and defensive backs (1998-2000).
As a player, Williams was a running back at William & Mary who rushed for 1,220 yards and 15 touchdowns and caught 131 passes for 1,331 yards and seven TDs during his career. As a senior, he led the team with 57 receptions and 598 receiving yards.
Borgonzi possesses 16 years of coaching experience, including the last 11 in the NFL. Before working with Eberflus and Williams in Indianapolis, the Massachusetts native spent four seasons as a defensive quality control coach with the Buccaneers under coaches Lovie Smith (2014-15) and Dirk Koetter (2016-17).
Borgonzi entered the NFL with the Cowboys in 2011, working as a defensive assistant for two seasons before serving as an offensive assistant with Dallas in 2013.
Borgonzi began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 2006-07 at Syracuse, where he earned a master's degree in education. He then served as defensive backs coach at Harvard from 2008-10.
As a player, Borgonzi was a three-year starting inside linebacker at Amherst College, a Division III school in Massachusetts.
His first NFL job was actually as an unpaid media relations summer intern with Washington. In that role, Borgonzi was tasked with distributing newspaper clips to coaches, setting up interviews with players and transcribing press conferences. He later landed a similar internship with the Patriots.
