The Bears officially announced the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus on Friday afternoon in a press release that included statements from general manager Ryan Poles and team president and CEO Kevin Warren.

Eberflus said at a news conference Friday morning that he met with both men after Thursday’s 23-20 loss to the Lions and said he was confident he would remain head coach despite the botched time management at the end of the game. Poles said in his statement that Eberflus was informed of his dismissal after a meeting with Warren and team chairman George McCaskey, and Warren’s statement indicated that Poles would move forward with the team in the search for their next coach.

“I support Ryan and the decision made this morning. “We understand how important the role of head coach is in building and sustaining a championship-caliber team that leads our players and our organization,” Warren said. “Our fans have stood by us and overcome every challenge and they deserve better results. Our organizational and operating structure is strong, focused, aligned and energized for the future.”

Offensive passing game coordinator Thomas Brown is the interim head coach. It’s the first head coaching opportunity for Brown, who took over offensive line duties after offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired three weeks ago.