Former Top NFL Coordinator Heading To UCLA
Which Coordinator?
Eric Bieniemy has signed a deal with UCLA to become their new offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Back in 2018, Bieniemy set the NFL on fire after Andy Reid promoted him to become the offensive coordinator after the departure of Matt Nagy. The 2018 Chiefs' offense scored the third-most points ever in a season, and a first-year starting quarterback named Patrick Mahomes threw for 5000 yards and 50 touchdowns while winning MVP and losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots in the playoffs.Â
Bieniemy and the Bruins agreed on the deal on Saturday afternoon, but what does it exactly mean for each side?
UCLA Gets A Winner
UCLA has struggled to really compete in recent years with other teams in the PAC-12. The Bruins have consistently been beaten down by Oregon, USC, Washington, and even Stanford when they have been good. Despite football historically not being their sport, The Bruins made a massive move to the Big Ten. This means there will be even more powerhouses to face every year by the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State, along with those previously mentioned foes.Â
This challenge is monumental, but UCLA made the perfect hire for the situation. Bieniemy has a record for producing offense after winning two Super Bowls in Kansas City. While he struggled last year with the Commanders in the same role, this allows Bieniemy to build his system up and recruit the players who fit it. Bieniemy had only one year in Washington with players he essentially had no role in selecting or acquiring. Now, given time, he will have a solid base to turn UCLA around and help them compete.
What Do We Not Know About Bieniemy?
While this is an excellent hire for a struggling college football program, coaches only move from the NFL to college sometimes. Rare cases like Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh have worked, but there were reasons behind that. Saban was not made for the NFL, and Harbaugh played at Michigan. Bieniemy has no tie to UCLA, even playing at Colorado in college. This is a downward move with no apparent motive in the grand scheme of movements and transitions.
With no apparent motive, it asks why he is doing this? Bieniemy won two Superbowls in Kansas City, decided to go to the Commanders for whatever reason, struggled, and is now at the college level? Bieniemy was the most coveted head coaching candidate after his spectacular 2018 season, and he never landed any of those jobs. No formal issue or grievance has come out regarding why he did not get these jobs, but it leaves it to speculation about how someone so good at their job and so desired lost out on every single opportunity to not only be a head coach but stay in the NFL at all.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, it is a win for all. Bieniemy gets a fresh start after struggling in Washington, and UCLA gets an experienced coordinator who knows how to run a high-powered offense. We can question why Bieniemy was sent down to the college level but will likely never get a straight and specific answer. Maybe he did not call the plays, perhaps he is an awful interviewer, or maybe he threw a chocolate bar in a pool and claimed it to be poop; we don't know. But until we know more specifics, this is likely a win for all. Except maybe Bieniemy's legacy as a coach when it is all over.
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