(Lake Forest, Ill.)– For the first time in the 100-plus year history of the franchise, the Chicago Bears have made an in-season change of head coaches, firing Matt Eberflus Friday.

The decision comes as the Bears are mired in a six-game losing streak and on the heels of critical comments from Bears players after Chicago squandered the final 27 seconds of Thursday’s 23-20 loss at Detroit.

Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will take over as the Bears’ interim head coach. Brown was only promoted to the coordinator’s role three weeks ago, after firing of previous offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

The Bears started the reason with a 4-2 record, but a series of one-score losses — many blamed on Eberflus’ decisions — had left the locker room openly complaining about coaching.  Eberflus was 5-19 in one-score games during his 2-3/4 seasons as Bears head coach.  His career record is 14-32, one of the worst in franchise history.

Eberflus was hired in 2002 as the first major decision of new Bears general manager Ryan Poles.

Brown will now take over, as the Bears prepare for a game with San Francisco on December 8.