“Should’ve stayed with the Chiefs” – Fans brutally mock former Commanders OC Eric Bieniemy’s move to UCLA as associate HC
Eric Bieniemy is switching NFL for College football.
Eric Bieniemy (Image via IMAGO)
Eric Bieniemy is heading back to college football. The former Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Commanders offensive coordinator will now take over the same position with the UCLA Bruins. He will also be the associate head coach under new Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster.
Bieniemy was the offensive coordinator for the Chiefs from 2018 to 2022. There, he won two Super Bowls, appearing in five AFC Championship games. Being part of arguably the Chiefs’ best era, he was naturally in demand. There were rumors of several franchises eyeing him as their next head coach.
Instead, he moved from Missouri to the capital after his contract ran out. In 2023, the Washington Commanders appointed Eric Bieniemy as their OC under head coach Ron Rivera. He helped second-year quarterback Sam Howell improve from his rookie year, but still, the Commanders finished 4-13, and Rivera was sacked.
With the commanders under a new regime, there were going to be some changes. However, the general consensus was that Bieniemy would stay and may even become the head coach. But in a shocking turn of events, former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn bagged the job. Not only Quinn, but they brought in Kliff Kingsbury from USC, replacing Bieniemy from the OC position.
No wonder fans had some thoughts to share of their own on Bieniemy’s recent move.
Eric Bieniemy’s college football experience
In the year when coaches are trying out their luck, taking over various staff jobs at an NFL organization, Eric Bieniemy decided to go against the flow. As per ESPN.com‘s Pete Thamel, the 54-year-old will take over as UCLA’s offensive coordinator.
However, this isn’t the first rodeo in the realm of college football for him. Bieniemy has been part of the setup since the early 2000s. After beginning his coaching career as the runningback’s coach with the Colorado Buffaloes, he joined UCLA in 2003, enjoying the same position for three seasons before making his first step in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings.
Bieniemy went back to the Buffs for a brief spell and then tenure with the Chiefs and Commanders before heading back to UCLA for a second time. The Bruins look set to enter the Big 10, but they will be without Chip Kelly, who left to manage Ohio State. The Bruins appointed Deshaun Foster a few days later as their head coach. Foster is a former UCLA running back who served as a college assistant for more than a decade.
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Ishan Misra
(3023 Articles Published)