As reported by multiple sources Saturday evening, longtime NFL assistant coach Eric Bieniemy has agreed to be the Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator for the UCLA Bruins. The agreement is said to be a 2-year deal.
Bieniemy had recently been the Offensive Coordinator for the Washington Commanders in 2023. There are some ties between Bieniemy and UCLA. The former NFL running back grew up in Southern California and attended high school roughly an hour from UCLA’s campus. He was also the Bruins’ running backs coach from 2003-05 under then-Head Coach Karl Dorrell.
Most recently, Bieniemy has made a name for himself as the Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Coordinator. Promoted from the running backs coach position by Andy Reid, he oversaw the offense on two Super Bowl teams. In addition, Bieniemy was an integral figure in helping to develop QB Patrick Mahomes.
When Bieniemy left Washington this past offseason, it was unknown as to whether he’d try and pursue a Head Coach job in the NFL, or perhaps another coordinator position. However, the allure of coming back home to Los Angeles apparently won out here.
Being an experienced figure, he should fit nicely with the Bruins and their new head coach, DeShaun Foster. Foster, like Bieniemy, had been a longtime running backs coach himself before earning this position at his alma mater. As the Bruins enter the Big Ten, 10 starters from last year’s offense are projected to come back.
