Eric Bieniemy, the two-time Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, who many believe is deserving of an NFL head coaching gig, will now turn to the college game and make a return to the UCLA Bruins.
Bieniemy was named the OC for the Bruins, the school announced on Saturday. The move comes after the longtime offensive coach was not retained by Dan Quinn and his new staff for the Washington Commanders.
What Eric Bieniemy Brings to UCLA
This is a major splash hire for the Bruins, a program transitioning to the Big Ten from the 2024 college football campaign.
Bieniemy has earned heavy praise for coaching Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and, momentarily, Tyreek Hill with the Chiefs — helping turn the trio into three of the more dominant NFL players today while implementing the offense under head coach Andy Reid.
With Bieniemy as Reid’s OC, the Chiefs ranked first in total yards of offense twice since the 2019 season. Bieniemy was on the coaching staff that won Super Bowl 54 and Super Bowl 57.
Last season with Washington, however, Bieniemy’s offense ranked 24th in yards as the Commanders endured a 4-13 season. New head coach Quinn ended up settling for former Texas Tech and Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury as his offensive coordinator — allowing Bieniemy to pursue other opportunities.
Bieniemy Becomes Major Hire for New UCLA Regime
Bieniemy’s hire becomes the first significant move under new head coach DeShaun Foster. He’s also considered a re-hire for the campus.
The former UCLA running back was named the team’s head coach on February 12 after Chip Kelly left Westwood to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator.
Kelly had also interviewed for open NFL OC positions — notably the Las Vegas Raiders opening and was considered a contender for, ironically, Bieniemy’s old position with the Commanders.
But for UCLA, the Bruins bring back a former Los Angeles resident who was an assistant coach at the program before his NFL career took off.
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Bieniemy attended high school at nearby Bishop Amat in La Puente. He also served as running backs coach and recruiting coordinator with the Bruins from 2003 to 2005.
Bieniemy never got to coach Foster in Westwood, as the running back played for the program prior to his arrival, but now he will get to coach for him as the new UCLA offensive coordinator.
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