Longtime NFL OC Eric Bieniemy was brought to UCLA over the offseason as a way to give the Bruins some credibility and high-level offensive strategy.
First-time head coach DeShaun Foster had a preexisting relationship with Bieniemy, and the thought was that Bieniemy’s collective experience would pair well with Foster, who had zero head coaching experience before taking the job at his alma mater.
While things may sound good in theory, when in practice they can evolve into something utterly disastrous.
After only one year on the job, Bieniemy was let go by UCLA on Thursday. This comes on the heels of National Signing Day on Wednesday — where UCLA lost 4-star QB Madden Iamaleava to Arkansas over rumors that Bieniemy would be shown the door.
Ultimately, it’s exactly what happened.
Bieniemy’s pro-style scheme was nearly impossible for the players to understand. UCLA ranked 94th nationally in yards per play and 126th nationally in scoring. It was akin to fitting a square peg into a round hole. With a plethora of injuries along the offensive line, you’d assume Bieniemy would call plays to get the ball out as quickly as possible — especially with UCLA’s personnel being most talented at receiver.
Instead, Bieniemy ran heavy sets utilizing tight ends and extra offensive linemen. The offensive scheme was archaic and highly ineffective.
Bieniemy’s agent Jason Fletcher released the following statement. Reading in between the lines, this sounded a bit patronizing. It’s also confusing considering Bieniemy inked a multi-year deal:
“Eric and UCLA mutually parted ways today as previously planned. He’s still getting paid by the Commanders. After interviewing for head coaching jobs last year, he wanted to stay active and busy. So, he decided to go help out DeShaun Foster, who is like his little brother, at UCLA as opposed to sitting out a year. The plan was always to return to the NFL in 2025, and he’s looking forward to the opportunities ahead.”
With multiple skill players already transferring out presumably due to the scheme being poor, Foster must scramble to replenish those losses via the transfer portal (which is opening up in a few days).
Various reports suggest that Foster is targeting Indiana Co-Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach Tino Sunseri as Bieniemy’s replacement.
