Assessing the Redskins coaching options: Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy

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BOULDER, CO – SEPTEMBER 29: Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy leads the Colorado Buffaloes against the UCLA Bruins at Folsom Field on September 29, 2012 in Boulder, Colorado. UCLA defeated Colorado 42-14. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

About Eric Bieniemy’s career, coaching resume

Bieniemy was a star running back during his time in college at Colorado. He had two seasons with 1,200-plus rushing yards and in his final season with the Buffaloes, he logged 1,787 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns. He finished third in the Heisman voting that year and was a second-round pick by the then-San Diego Chargers.

Bieniemy would last nine years in the NFL but never really emerged as anything more than a rotational back. He made one start during his first year with the Cincinnati Bengals but for the most part, he was just a backup. In total, he had 2,812 scrimmage yards and 11 scores during his nine seasons (an average of 312.4 yards and 1.2 TDs per year).

After finishing his NFL career, Bieniemy would climb the coaching ladder starting at his alma mater, Colorado. He spent two seasons there as a running backs coach and then spent three seasons in the same role for UCLA.

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In 2006, he got his first crack at being an NFL-level coach. He was the Minnesota Vikings’ running backs coach for five years under Brad Childress and Leslie Frazier and got a chance to work with Adrian Peterson. After that, he went back to Colorado to be the Buffaloes offensive coordinator for a couple of seasons. Things didn’t go well there as the team went a combined 4-21 during his time there.

Following that stint, Bieniemy got the call from Andy Reid to come join his coaching staff with the Chiefs. It was Reid’s first year in Kansas City, and Bieniemy was brought on to coach the running backs. Bieniemy has been able to help coach the likes of Jamaal Charles, who had two of his best seasons under Bieniemy, Kareem Hunt, Spencer Ware, and Damien Williams to success in Reid’s offense.

Bieniemy remained in Kansas City and took over as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator after Matt Nagy was hired by the Chicago Bears. Bieniemy’s 2018 unit was first in yardage and scoring in the NFL while his 2019 unit has ranked in the top five.

While serving as the team’s offensive coordinator, Bieniemy has done well to incorporate various weapons into the offense. The team survived the departure of Hunt late in the 2018 season and saw Williams and Ware carry their rushing offense to success. The returns haven’t been as good in 2019, but Bieniemy has done well to develop and incorporate Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson, and others into the lineup amid injuries to the receiving corps.

Reid may still be the head honcho calling plays for the Chiefs, but Bieniemy has obviously absorbed a lot from him in terms of designing plays and preparing personnel for games. He is proving himself to be a great offensive mind and Reid’s effusive praise of him has certainly been noted.

Sooner rather than later, Bieniemy will get a chance to prove himself as a head coach. The question is, would he fit in with the Redskins?

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