Chiefs: 3 replacements if Eric Bieniemy leaves for USC
Why Eric Bieniemy to USC makes sense
It’s a story that makes little sense: the offensive coordinator for one of the NFL’s most dominant teams, who has reportedly interviewed well, hasn’t been offered a head coaching job yet.
NFL fans know that worse coaches have stuck around circulating the league and running franchises into the ground: think Jeff Fisher before Sean McVay swooped in and saved the Los Angeles Rams.
With less successful coaches hired on for much less, it’s a wonder why Bieniemy hasn’t been given his moment quite yet.
Many attribute Bieniemy’s lacking offers as an example of racism rife in NFL leadership. Bieniemy was an excellent interview candidate that satisfied the Rooney Rule, but he apparently wasn’t deemed “good enough” to coach a team.
While this could be why Bieniemy wasn’t offered a single gig this year, it’s also possible that the Chiefs coordinator is happy with his current position on a winning offense and will only leave for the ideal gig.
Bieniemy could be waiting for Andy Reid’s impending retirement, or maybe he’s just waiting for the right team to win him over and steal him away.
Why the Chiefs should look elsewhere
Bieniemy may only leave for the right gig, but the fact that he interviewed with other teams this year indicates that he’s willing to consider what could be greener pastures.
The sooner that the Chiefs know their future with Bieniemy, the sooner they could move forward in finding and grooming another potential candidate. It’s widely believed that the Chiefs will keep things in-house and promote Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka to replace a departed Bieniemy.
It makes sense for the Chiefs to promote the man behind Mahomes’ magic, but it makes just as much sense to hire someone with NFL head coaching experience.
As the Josh McDaniels experiment proved in Denver, not every offensive coordinator is destined to run an entire team — but that doesn’t make them any less skilled at running an offense unit.
If the Chiefs are looking for experienced NFL coaches who know the game inside and out, then they should consider calling Hue Jackson, Dirk Koetter and Bill O’Brien to interview for the job.