REPORT: Former Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy hired at UCLA as associate head coach

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has found a new job outside of pro football.

Bieniemy is headed back to the college ranks as associate head coach and offensive coordinator for UCLA under new head coach DeShaun Foster, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Pete Thamel. The Bruins now have two former NFL running backs leading their program.

The 54-year-old will reportedly be on a two-year deal.

Bieniemy was UCLA’s running backs coach from 2003 to 2005 and grew up in La Puente, California, in Los Angeles County.

“Southern California,” Bieniemy wrote in an email Saturday, according to Schefter. “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.”

Bieniemy was offensive coordinator and assistant head coach under HC Ron Rivera for the Washington Commanders this past season. Rivera was fired after a 4-13 record and new Commanders HC Dan Quinn did not retain Bieniemy on his new coaching staff.

Washington was near the bottom of the NFL in points per game with 19.4 while mired by subpar offensive line and quarterback play.

Bieniemy spent nearly 10 years with the Chiefs, with the first four as running backs coach from 2013 to 2017 and the last five years as the OC from 2018 to 2022.

Bieniemy was Mahomes’ first OC and helped lead the Chiefs’ prolific offense to three Super Bowl appearances with two SB wins.

With this much experience, the Colorado product interviewed for numerous NFL head coaching jobs for several years while with the Chiefs, but did not get hired by an NFL team as a head coach.

Bieniemy also spoke to the Chiefs ahead of the AFC Championship.

When asked about bringing Bieniemy back to KC, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said he doesn’t have a spot for his 54-year-old former coordinator at the moment but that he was still up for jobs.

This will be Bieniemy’s first college job since he left his Colorado after the 2012 season to join the Chiefs.