Tag: eric bieniemy

Eric Bieniemy play sheet will be studied by D’Anton Lynn at USC

Look at Eric Bieniemy’s play design and structure. D’Anton Lynn has a new homework assignment at USC.

Eric Bieniemy is UCLA’s new offensive coordinator, as UCLA Wire has noted. USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn will need to study Bieniemy when the Trojans meet UCLA late this season. It’s going to be a fun meeting of the minds in Los Angeles and the Big Ten.

Bieniemy wrote about his decision, as reprinted by UCLA Wire and as told to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Adam Schefter:

“Southern California. I attended high school there. I started my career in the league here [with the Chargers]. It’s obviously great to be back with the Bruins, where I was previously employed.”

Now that Bieniemy is in Los Angeles with the Bruins, what should D’Anton Lynn and USC look for when studying this offense? Let’s go to Bieniemy’s play sheet for a few examples:

Eric Bieniemy versus D’Anton Lynn in UCLA-USC football: let the chess match begin!

Bieniemy versus Lynn is a five-star coordinator clash in Los Angeles.

D’Anton Lynn knows his opponent in this year’s USC-UCLA football game. Eric Bieniemy was hired by UCLA football as its new offensive coordinator.

UCLA Wire wrote:

The UCLA Bruins search for an offensive coordinator is over. Shortly after Eric Bieniemy’s name began to gain steam, a report came out that he was finalizing a two-year deal with UCLA, per Adam Schefter of Pete Thamel of ESPN.

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Bieniemy is headed to UCLA as associate head coach and offensive coordinator as new head coach DeShaun Foster gets a veteran presence on the sidelines.

This move by DeShaun Foster puts Bieniemy up against new USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, who was UCLA’s defensive coordinator last season. Let’s take an early look at this matchup.

Eric Bieniemy hired across town as UCLA football offensive coordinator

This caught a lot of people by surprise.

Eric Bieniemy left his offensive coordinator position with the Washington Commanders to become the associate head coach and offensive coordinator for the UCLA Bruins under new head coach DeShaun Foster.

Bieniemy explained his decision to step away from the NFL in an e-mail shared by ESPN: “I have had countless conversations and interviews with many teams, and I have been applauded and lauded.  I can’t say why certain decisions were or were not made but it had nothing to [do] with a lack of anything on my end.

“My self-dignity, worth, integrity, personhood, manhood will never be questioned or compromised. It is not always about money, either. With everything in life, it is often all about timing. At this time in my life, the opportunity affords me the pleasure of continuing to be a maker and leader of men, to do what I love, follow my passion and my dreams while not compromising on who I am as a man.”

Before becoming the associate head coach and offensive coordinator for the Commanders, Bieniemy had been working under Andy Reid in Kansas City since 2013, starting as the running backs coach and being promoted to offensive coordinator with the Chiefs in 2018. Despite frequent mentions for head coaching positions in the NFL, Bieniemy has yet to secure one.

Bieniemy’s college coaching career began at his alma mater, the University of Colorado. From 1987-1990, he was a standout running back for the Buffaloes, helping them win the national championship in 1990. After playing nine years in the NFL with the Chargers, Bengals, and Eagles, he returned to Colorado as the running backs coach in 2001. He then joined Karl Dorrell’s staff at UCLA from 2003-2005 as the running backs coach, where he developed running back Maurice Jones-Drew. After testing the NFL coaching waters as the running back coach/assistant head coach, Bieniemy returned to Colorado for his first offensive coordinator position from 2011-2012.

On February 12, the Bruins announced DeShaun Foster as their new head coach. UCLA officials believe that Foster will bring energy to recruiting and the program. They might be trying to steal some of the energy the Trojans have been receiving across town when they hired away the Bruins’ 2023 defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn.

Bieniemy, who has been passed up for many head coaching positions in the NFL, emphasized in an email that his goal is to assist Foster in being a successful head coach. This move to UCLA could be the next step for Bieniemy to become a college head coach in the near future.

UCLA Wire has more coverage of Eric Bieniemy.

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UCLA hires Eric Bieniemy as associate head coach and offensive coordinator

Eric Bieniemy is joining UCLA’s staff.

The UCLA Bruins search for an offensive coordinator is over. Shortly after Eric Bieniemy’s name began to gain steam, a report came out that he was finalizing a two-year deal with UCLA, per Adam Schefter of Pete Thamel of ESPN. 

Former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is finalizing a two-year deal to join UCLA’s staff as the Bruins’ associate head coach/offensive coordinator, sources told ESPN on Saturday night.

The move marks a significant hire for new UCLA coach DeShaun Foster, who intends to forge an NFL identity with the Bruins. It also marks a homecoming for Bieniemy, who grew up in the area and was a Bruins assistant from 2003-05.

So, Bieniemy is headed to UCLA as associate head coach and offensive coordinator as new head coach DeShaun Foster gets a veteran presence on the sidelines.

Bieniemy wrote an email on Saturday about the decision, per Thamel and Schefter: “Southern California. I attended high school there. I started my career in the league here [with the Chargers]. It’s obviously great to be back with the Bruins, where I was previously employed.”

Finally, the search for an offensive coordinator is over for the UCLA Bruins football program.

Decorated NFL coach takes job with a Big Ten school

Decorated NFL coach takes job with a Big Ten school

Longtime NFL assistant coach Eric Bieniemy is taking the offensive coordinator job with head coach DeShaun Foster’s new staff at UCLA, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Bieniemy was previously UCLA’s running backs coach from 2003-2005. He was last coaching in the college game from 2011-2012 at Colorado — his alma mater. The decorated offensive coordinator spent 2013-2022 with the Kansas City Chiefs, five years as running backs coach and five as offensive coordinator. He joined the Washington Commanders staff for the 2023 season before now making the jump back to college.

Related: Big Ten starting quarterback rankings for 2024

The new UCLA offensive coordinator was a key piece of head coach Andy Reid’s staff in Kansas City that won two Super Bowls in a four-year span from 2019-2022. His name often came up in head coaching discussions around the league, though he was never able to land a job.

He joins Foster’s staff at UCLA which is dealing with the departure of head coach Chip Kelly this offseason. That while the program prepares to enter the Big Ten and the new landscape of college football.

[lawrence-related id=71472,71360,71360,71210]

Editorial Note: National NFL writers, high-profile sports talkers and even fans have championed this idea of every college coach leaving the sport ‘because of NIL and the transfer portal.’ First, the numbers don’t say that. And then this happens, so of course we must ask the same questions

 

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

Eric Bieniemy on departing the Commanders: ‘I was not fired’

Bieniemy said it was his choice not to return to Washington.

When Dan Quinn was introduced as the new head coach of the Washington Commanders earlier this month, he was asked about Eric Bieniemy. Bieniemy had served as Washington’s offensive coordinator in 2023 and was under contract for 2024.

“I think he’s an excellent coach,” Quinn said on Feb. 5. “I had a chance to visit with him today. We’ll continue that dialogue, but we’re not going to work together here, but in this coaching brotherhood, I wanted him to know, man, I really respect the work that he’s done……I wish EB nothing but the best and he’ll do a great job.”

On Saturday, Bieniemy’s next destination was revealed. He was returning to the college game to be UCLA’s offensive coordinator/associate head coach for new coach DeShaun Foster.

To say Bieniemy’s one season in Washington didn’t go well would be an understatement. Bieniemy’s offense ranked first in passing attempts and last in rushing attempts, despite starting Sam Howell at quarterback, a 2021 fifth-round pick with only one NFL start on his resume entering 2023.

The Commanders were ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in most offensive metrics, including FTN’s offensive DVOA (26th).

After Quinn took over as head coach, he hired Kliff Kingsbury as his new offensive coordinator and put together an impressive offensive staff that included former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn and former Eagles OC Brian Johnson.

In an email to ESPN Saturday confirming his decision to join UCLA, Bieniemy mentioned he had other NFL opportunities and that he had been “applauded and lauded.”

He talked about why he was excited to join Foster and help UCLA.

And then he mentioned his former team:

“I have no regrets with the Commanders,” Bieniemy wrote. “Contrary to what some think and what has been put out in the media, I was not fired. I actually just chose not to stay. Learned a lot and that is always a good thing.

That conflicts with what Quinn said. Maybe the word “fired” was never used when Quinn and the Commanders discussed Bieniemy’s time in Washington, but there was no way Bieniemy was returning in 2024. It’s not personal from Washington’s end, either. The results speak for themselves.

Look, Bieniemy deserves a pass for some of the things he had to deal with in 2023, but he didn’t help things. There are the aforementioned lackluster results, the failure to run the ball to help a young quarterback, but it was his alleged issues with players that were a larger problem.

It began as early as training camp when former head coach Ron Rivera acknowledged some players had come to him to discuss Bieniemy’s coaching style. Rivera backed off those comments a day later, but there were clear issues.

Those issues were brought to the surface again in December. After the season, several players, veterans such as Charles Leno Jr., Logan Thomas, and Sam Cosmi, didn’t exactly give Bieniemy a ringing endorsement.

In short, Bieniemy wasn’t coming back to Washington. He can phrase it however he likes; that’s his choice. But Quinn and new GM Adam Peters were moving forward with a new offense and a new offensive coordinator.

It is interesting that Bieniemy would choose to mention his departure from Washington and what “has been put out in the media.” Nothing from the Commanders was “put out in the media.” It came straight from the new head coach.

Twitter reacts to UCLA hiring former Commanders/Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy

Social media reacts to Bieniemy heading back to the college game.

Former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has landed a new job. On Saturday, the UCLA Bruins hired Bieniemy as their new offensive coordinator/associate head coach. It’s a similar title to what he held during his lone season in Washington in 2023.

The Bruins were looking for a new offensive coordinator after former head coach Chip Kelly departed to take over as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. The Bruins promoted UCLA alum and former NFL running back DeShaun Foster to head coach.

Bieniemy’s gamble in Washington didn’t work out well for him or the team. After the season, the Commanders fired head coach Ron Rivera, leaving Bieniemy free to pursue his options.

Bieniemys’ one season in Washington was polarizing. Some fans believed he could do no wrong, blaming everything on Rivera, the offensive line, Sam Howell, Dan Snyder, and virtually everyone else — except Bieniemy. Others, though, were ready for a change by midseason.

How did the social media world react to Bieniemy’s new job? We look at some of the top reactions from X — formerly Twitter.

Former Commanders OC Eric Bieniemy to UCLA as OC/associate head coach

Bieniemy is back in the college game.

For the second consecutive year, Eric Bieniemy has a new job.

After 10 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs — the final five as offensive coordinator — Bieniemy left to become the offensive coordinator/assistant head coach of the Washington Commanders in 2023.

On Saturday, Bieniemy agreed to become the new offensive coordinator/assistant head coach for the UCLA Bruins and new head coach DeShaun Foster. UCLA’s former coach, Chip Kelly, left this offseason to become Ryan Day’s offensive coordinator at Ohio State.

Bieniemy, a Southern California native, returns to UCLA, where he spent three seasons (2003-05) as the running backs coach.

Bieniemy’s one season in Washington didn’t go well. The Commanders led the NFL in pass attempts and were last in rushing attempts. Washington finished 4-13, and Bieniemy reportedly had issues with multiple players regarding his coaching style. The Commanders had plenty of other problems, but Bieniemy didn’t help.

A two-time Super Bowl champion as Kansas City’s offensive coordinator, Bieniemy has been an OC at the college level before. In 2011, Bieniemy was offensive coordinator at his alma mater, Colorado, a role he held for two seasons before coming to the NFL with the Chiefs in 2013.

Eric Bieniemy as UCLA OC draws mixed reactions on social media

Could Eric Bieniemy become the new OC for UCLA?

The UCLA Bruins football program needs to hire an offensive coordinator. Recently, Chip Kelly called the plays. However, he left for the OC job at Ohio State and DeShaun Foster won’t be the primary play-caller.

So, a number of candidates have surfaced. On Friday, one well-known name started to circulate more around Westwood: Former Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Commanders OC Eric Bieniemy.

Bieniemy has a ton of experience and is most known for his days calling plays with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill. On the other hand, it would be a bit of a puzzling hire for Foster.

Nothing is official yet, but the Bieniemy-UCLA rumors were quite the topic on social media.

Commanders new RB coach Anthony Lynn is a big fan of Brian Robinson Jr.

Good news for Brian Robinson Jr.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. took a big step in his career in 2023. After missing the first four games of his NFL career in 2022 after suffering gunshot wounds in an attempted carjacking, Robinson somehow was able to return in Week 5 and have a solid rookie season.

Even more remarkable is that Robinson was never 100% but still managed to rush for 797 yards and score three touchdowns in 12 games.

Robinson was better overall in 2023 despite fewer rushing yards. In 15 games, he averaged 4.1 yards per attempt and ran for 733 yards and five touchdowns. But it was his work in the passing game where Robinson flexed his versatility. He caught 36 passes for 368 yards and four more touchdowns.

Robinson would have easily gone over 1,000 rushing yards if former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy had committed to the run more. Washington was last in the NFL in rushing attempts.

Bieniemy is gone. Enter Kliff Kingsbury. While the former Arizona Cardinals head coach is known more for his connection to the Air Raid offense, Kingsbury does run the ball. And even better news for the Commanders and Kingsbury, they hired former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn away from the San Francisco 49ers as the new running backs coach and run game coordinator.

Lynn is one of the most respected coaches in the NFL and is known for his work with the running game. He played for Mike Shanahan and spent the last two seasons under Kyle Shanahan. Now, he brings that expertise to Washington to help Kingsbury.

Lynn is excited to be in Washington, and he’s also a big fan of Robinson.

On Wednesday, Washington’s assistants met with the local media and discussed numerous topics, and Lynn asked about the Commanders’ star back.

If healthy, Robinson is about to have his best NFL season yet. He’s been excellent through two seasons despite facing different obstacles. His growth in the passing game will help him stay on the field for three downs next season. And Lynn will give the Commanders a competent running game.

You can also expect new general manager Adam Peters to invest heavily in the offensive line this offseason. Additionally, Robinson’s former backfield mate Antonio Gibson is scheduled to be a free agent. Washington will bring in another back, but Robinson is the unquestioned starter in 2024.