The UCLA Bruins hired Eric Bieniemy as the new offensive coordinator. D’Anton Lynn left UCLA to become the new defensive coordinator with the USC Trojans.
The Lynn-Bieniemy showdown will be an interesting battle to watch with both guys having NFL experience and being one of the best in their respective roles.
Oddly enough, both Lynn and Bieniemy were on opposite sides of a crucial playoff game a couple of years ago, as Matt Zemek of Trojans Wire notes:
One specific reason this coaching matchup could really pop — spicing up the USC-UCLA football rivalry — is that Bieniemy and Lynn stand on different sides of the game which decided the AFC championship this past NFL season.
Bieniemy coming from the Andy Reid head coaching system with the Kansas City Chiefs, and Lynn coming from the Baltimore Ravens, creates an extension of the Chiefs-Ravens clash of contrasts in the NFL. The Chiefs have set the standard for offensive creativity in pro football, while the Ravens have become the hot defensive model for how to stop elite offenses in football. Michigan’s national championship team in 2023 used plenty of Ravens-centric concepts.
The ties between the Los Angeles coordinators just continues to grow.