Could Eric Bienemy's Best Shot to Be a Head Coach Come with Another Team?
By Matt De Saro
One of my favorite parts of the NFL offseason is the annual coaching shuffle that occurs among teams in the league.
Coaches are fired, coordinators are promoted or brought on and the cycle continues.
One name on the tip of many collective tongues the past several seasons is Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. While he doesn't get the attention he deserves, it might have a lot to do with the shadow of Andy Reid that he operates under.
In an “always the bridesmaid and never the bride” sort of situation, Bieniemy is consistently overlooked when it comes time for teams to hire a new head coach. As another offseason approaches, one has to wonder if a change of scenery might help not only Bieniemy but also the Chiefs.
Perhaps Bieniemy's inability to land a job is due to the NFL's ongoing issues surrounding the hiring of diverse candidates. One story that's caught the NFL by storm on Tuesday afternoon is that of former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores who's suing the league, as well as the New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos for "racism within their hiring practices."
Former Miami HC Brian Flores is suing the NFL, the Giants, the Dolphins and the Broncos for alleged “racism in hiring”, and he includes texts from Patriots’ HC Bill Belichick in the suit as evidence. Lawsuit filed in Manhattan Federal Court seeking unspecified damages from NFL.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 1, 2022
The lawsuit also mentions Bieniemy's inability to land a head coaching opportunity as part of their case.
This Bran Flores lawsuit has some very serious allegations. From Broncos execs (including Elway) showing up to an interview drunk and hungover to the Dolphins owner offering Flores money to tank. Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy's situation is also mentioned: pic.twitter.com/XfZADJg9Ll
— Patrick Allen (@RPatrickAllen) February 1, 2022
This will be the fourth straight year that the Chiefs OC has made himself available for head coaching interviews, and it appears he will be passed over yet again. Since taking over the coordinator role from Matt Nagy (who got the Chicago Bears job after one year in the position), Bieniemy's offense has finished 1st, 5th, 6th and 4th in total points scored. The Chiefs, for the second consecutive season, began the year as the undisputed favorites to win the Super Bowl at WynnBET Sportsbook. Yet, his phone ring once for an official interview with the Denver Broncos. It was his 13th interview in the last three years.
Other remaining head coaching positions that should theoretically be a good fit include the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins. The trouble is those teams already know who they want to take to the prom and are just waiting to pull the trigger. The Jags and Byron Leftwich are close to making a deal, the Vikings are rumored to be having conversations with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, and the Dolphins have second interviews scheduled with Kellen Moore and Mike McDaniel.
So, what does all this mean for the Bienemy’s chances at getting his shot to coach a team? Well, he has two routes.
The first is he waits out the retirement of Andy Reid and hope the franchise gives him the promotion he rightfully deserves. The other would be to move on to another team as an offensive coordinator and hope to snag a head coaching job after showcasing his abilities elsewhere.
Eventually. No matter which route he takes, Bieniemy has paid his dues far more than many other candidates and has earned his a shot to help an NFL team. Sadly, I doubt he gets it this season