Former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is finalizing a two-year deal to affix UCLA’s workers because the Bruins’ affiliate head coach/offensive coordinator, sources advised ESPN on Saturday night time.
The transfer marks a major rent for brand spanking new UCLA coach DeShaun Foster, who intends to forge an NFL id with the Bruins. It additionally marks a homecoming for Bieniemy, who grew up within the space and was a Bruins assistant from 2003-05.
“Southern California,” Bieniemy wrote in an e-mail Saturday. “I attended highschool there. I began my profession within the league right here [with the Chargers]. It is clearly nice to be again with the Bruins, the place I used to be beforehand employed.”
Bieniemy had alternatives to stay within the NFL. He interviewed for the Commanders’ head-coaching job, and two different offensive coordinator jobs. Bieniemy stated one NFL staff provided him its assistant head coach/operating backs job. However finally, he took his time and located his approach again to highschool.
“I’ve had numerous conversations and interviews with many groups, and I’ve been applauded and lauded,” Bieniemy wrote. “I can not say why sure choices had been or weren’t made but it surely had nothing to [do] with a scarcity of something on my finish.
“My self-dignity, value, integrity, personhood, manhood won’t ever be questioned or compromised. It isn’t at all times about cash, both. With all the things in life, it’s usually all about timing. Right now in my life, the chance affords me the pleasure of constant to be a maker and chief of males, to do what I really like, observe my ardour and my desires whereas not compromising on who I’m as a person.”
Will probably be Bieniemy’s first faculty job since working as Colorado’s offensive coordinator from 2011 to 2012. Foster prioritized hiring a coach with Bieniemy’s expertise — and Bieniemy was equally as enthusiastic about making an attempt to assist UCLA’s rookie head coach.
For Foster, who’s getting into his first season as a head coach, the rent is an important one. Foster doesn’t have coordinator expertise. By bringing in somebody with Bieniemy’s breadth of expertise, he has begun to set the imaginative and prescient of what UCLA will seem like on that aspect of the ball. Former head coach Chip Kelly served as UCLA’s offensive playcaller in current seasons.
“It is a nice alternative for me to assist assist DeShaun as a head coach, to work with him and to work for him as effectively,” Bieniemy wrote. “My purpose is to assist him to be a profitable head coach in our career.
“It is a possibility for my household and I to return again to a spot that we as soon as known as house.”
Bieniemy brings 16 years of NFL expertise to the Bruins. Bieniemy spent the 2023 season because the Commanders’ offensive coordinator and received two Tremendous Bowls because the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, a job he held from 2018 to 2022.
As a coach who went to 5 straight convention championship video games that included three Tremendous Bowl appearances in that span, Bieniemy believes he brings rather a lot to the Bruins that may translate on the recruiting path.
“My purpose is to assist generate some pleasure for potential student-athletes to think about attending UCLA as we collectively put together for the transfer to the Massive Ten Convention in recruiting,” he wrote.
There have been different coaches who’ve gone from the NFL again to school and succeeded. Bieniemy identified that Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh, Invoice O’Brien and Kliff Kingsbury did it. Now he’s doing the identical, leaving the NFL and going again to highschool, with an eye fixed of conquering his new world.
“I’ve no regrets with the Commanders,” Bieniemy wrote. “Opposite to what some assume and what has been put out within the media, I used to be not fired. I really simply selected to not keep. Discovered rather a lot and that’s at all times a very good factor.
“I’ll proceed my stroll in my peace. I am excited to be right here and to teach these younger males and soccer once more. My expectations and need to be wonderful won’t ever be turned down. I am fired up. Let’s go.”
