The USC Trojans fired Clay Helton as their head coach on Monday after a terrible loss against Stanford. Over the past 48 hours, coaches have popped up as candidates to replace Helton.
On Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Kansas City Chiefs assistant and former Buffs running back Eric Bieniemy had emerged as a candidate for the Trojans job in a somewhat shocking development.
Over the past few years, Bieniemy has interviewed for head coaching gigs in the NFL and has been surprisingly passed over time and time again. Is a move to the college ranks a good idea for Bieniemy? Perhaps it is, and Schefter reported that USC is one college job he would consider.
League sources believe Chiefs' OC Eric Bieniemy will emerge as a head-coaching candidate for USC. Bieniemy is from Southern California and has told confidantes in the past, that USC is one of the only college jobs that might interest him.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 14, 2021
It makes sense. Bieniemy deserves a head coaching job–whether it’s at the NFL level or not. Furthermore, the Trojans’ job is not available very often and would be a perfect opportunity to head back to California where he went to high school.
Regardless, Bieniemy is a prime candidate and the Trojans coaching search is likely going to be a long one that might not end until the season concludes. With other names such as James Franklin and Bill O’Brien in the fold, one would have to think that Eric Bieniemy would be able to recruit talent at a high level while also putting fans in the stands.
It would be a well-deserved job for Bieniemy, and frankly, his role as a head coach is far past due.