Eric Bieniemy

Last updated

Eric Bieniemy
Eric Bieniemy OCT2021 (cropped).jpg
Bieniemy with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021
Personal information
Born: (1969-08-15) August 15, 1969 (age 55)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Weight:205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school: Bishop Amat (La Puente, California)
College: Colorado (1987–1990)
NFL draft: 1991  / round: 2 / pick: 39
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
As a player
As a coach
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts:387
Rushing yards:1,589
Rushing touchdowns:11
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Record  at Pro Football Reference

Eric Bieniemy Jr. (bee-EN-uh-me; [1] born August 15, 1969) is an American football coach and former running back who most recently was the associate head coach and offensive coordinator for the UCLA Bruins. He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes and is their all-time leader in rushing yards (3,940) and touchdowns (42). Bieniemy was also named a unanimous All-American and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting during their 1990 national championship season.

Contents

Bieniemy was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 1991 NFL draft, later playing for the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles primarily as a special teamer before returning to Colorado in the early 2000s to finish his degree. Following that, he was hired as the school's running backs coach and later coached for the UCLA Bruins and the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, helping develop players such as Maurice Jones-Drew and Adrian Peterson.

Bieniemy was Colorado's offensive coordinator for two seasons prior to joining the Kansas City Chiefs as running backs coach in 2013. He was credited in the development of Jamaal Charles and Kareem Hunt, with the latter leading the NFL in rushing yards as a rookie in 2017. He was promoted to offensive coordinator under head coach Andy Reid in 2018, winning Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LVII with the Chiefs. Bieniemy served the 2023 season with the Washington Commanders as their assistant head coach and offensive coordinator and the 2024 season as an offensive coordinator with the Bruins.

Early life

Bieniemy was born on August 15, 1969, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He later moved with his family to Hollywood, California, in 1979 before settling in West Covina, California, the following year. [2] He later attended Bishop Amat Memorial High School in La Puente, California, lettering in football and track and field. Bieniemy earned second-team All-America football honors as a senior in 1986 after rushing for 2,002 yards and 30 touchdowns. [3]

College career

Bieniemy enrolled at the University of Colorado Boulder in 1987, choosing them over the University of Southern California explaining: "I had been used to living in a big city; I had never been in a small city. It was pretty, it was the first time in snow, it was just something different. I wanted to be a part of it." [2] He was an immediate starter for the Colorado Buffaloes as a freshman and was named to the 1988 All-Big Eight Conference football team as a sophomore after rushing 219 times for 1,243 yards and 10 touchdowns. [4] [5]

He played in the Fifth Down Game against Missouri as a senior in 1990, in which two consecutive rushes by him were counted as second down due to an officiating error. [6] By the end of the 1990 season, he was named the Big Eight Conference's Offensive Player of the Year while finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting after rushing for 1,628 with 17 touchdowns en route to a national championship. [7] [8] Bieniemy is Colorado's all-time leader in rushing (3,940 yards), rushing touchdowns (42), and all-purpose yards (4,351). [9] He was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. [10]

College statistics
SeasonGPRushingReceiving
AttYdsAvgTDRecYdsAvgTD
1987 111045084.951018618.61
1988 102191,2435.710220100
1989 8885616.492157.50
1990 112881,6285.7171315912.20
Career [4] 406993,9405.6412738014.11

Professional career

Bieniemy was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round (39th overall) of the 1991 NFL draft. [11] In 1994, he appeared in Super Bowl XXIX and recorded a 33-yard reception, the longest of the game for the team. Bieniemy also played with the Cincinnati Bengals in 1995 to 1998 before retiring after one season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999. He finished his career with 1,589 rushing yards, 1,223 receiving yards, 276 return yards, 1,621 yards on kickoff returns, and 12 touchdowns (11 rushing and one kickoff).

NFL career statistics

Legend
Led the league
BoldCareer high

Regular season

YearTeamGamesRushingReceivingKick returnsPunt returns
GPGSAttYdsAvgLngTDRecYdsAvgLngTDRetYdsAvgLngTDRetYdsAvgLngTD
1991 SD 1503175.71500––––0––––0––––
1992 SD 150742643.62135499.82501525717.1300302297.6210
1993 SD 160331354.1121100.000711015.71800––––
1994 SD 160732954.03605489.62500––––0––––
1995 CIN 161983813.9273434249.9330816821.03407476.7100
1996 CIN 160562694.8332322728.54200––––0––––
1997 CIN 16021974.6201312498.02103478923.210210––––
1998 CIN 16017563.390271535.715058717.42200––––
1999 PHI 16012756.328122814.02701021021.03000––––
Career 14213871,5894.136111461,2238.4420791,62120.51021372767.5210

Postseason

YearTeamGamesRushingReceivingKick returns
GPGSAttYdsAvgLngTDRecYdsAvgLngTDRetYdsAvgLngTD
1992 SD 2017643.81401-4-4.0-4011414.0140
1994 SD 305367.217013333.033011313.0130
Career 50221004.517022914.533022713.5140

Coaching career

Early college jobs

Bieniemy was an assistant coach at Denver's Thomas Jefferson High School in 2000. [12] He re-enrolled at Colorado in 2001 to finish his degree in sociology and was the running backs coach for the Buffaloes from 2001 to 2002 and was UCLA running back coach from 2003 to 2005, as well as the team's recruiting coordinator in 2005. [13]

Minnesota Vikings

Following UCLA's 2005 Sun Bowl victory, Bieniemy accepted a position as running backs coach for the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL. During his time with the Vikings, Adrian Peterson led the NFC in rushing with 1,341 yards in 2007 and also in 2008 with 1,760 yards, which was also top in the NFL. Bieniemy was given the title of assistant head coach in 2010. [14]

Return to Colorado

On December 2, 2010, Bieniemy returned to Colorado as offensive coordinator under head coach Jon Embree. Bieniemy was offered the head coach position in 2020 at Colorado but he declined. [15]

Kansas City Chiefs

In 2013, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid hired Bieniemy to be the running backs coach. In 2018, Reid promoted Bieniemy to offensive coordinator to succeed Matt Nagy who had been hired as the head coach of the Chicago Bears. [16] In Bieniemy's first season as the Chiefs offensive coordinator, the Chiefs were first in the NFL in yards per game and points scored. [15] The Chiefs scored the third-most points in a season in NFL history with 565. Additionally, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes became the second quarterback in NFL history, along with Peyton Manning, to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in a season. [17] The Chiefs reached the 2018 AFC Championship Game where they lost to the New England Patriots. In 2019, Bieniemy won his first Super Bowl when the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31–20 in Super Bowl LIV. [18] In 2022, Bieniemy won his second Super Bowl with the Chiefs after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35 in Super Bowl LVII. [19]

Washington Commanders

On February 17, 2023, Bieniemy signed a two-year contract with the Washington Commanders to be Ron Rivera's assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. [20] [21] He was given full playcalling duties, something he shared under Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. [22] At the conclusion of his first season with Washington, the Commanders finished with a 4–13 record. Bieniemy's offense ranked 21st in average yards per game. [23] Bieniemy was not retained by newly hired head coach Dan Quinn following the season. [24]

UCLA (second stint)

In February 2024, Bieniemy was named the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at UCLA. [25] He was dismissed on December 5, 2024, after UCLA finished their season 5-7, ranking 117th in yards per game and 126th in points scored per game. [26] [27]

Personal life

Bieniemy and his wife have two sons. [9] His nephew, Jamal, played basketball at the University of Oklahoma and University of Texas El Paso. [28] He also is a member of Omega Psi Phi. [2]

Bieniemy was arrested along with Colorado teammate Kanavis McGhee following a bar fight in February 1988. McGhee said the dispute arose after Bieniemy alleged that he had been called a "nigger" by a bar patron. [29] He pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to community service. [29] Bieniemy also received discipline from head coach Bill McCartney. [29]

In 1989, Bieniemy was ticketed in Westminster, Colorado, for driving a defective vehicle, and in Aurora, Colorado for speeding. In October 1990, his license was suspended for a year after another traffic violation. On March 21, 1991, Bieniemy was caught speeding and driving with suspended license on Interstate 70 near Rifle, Colorado, going 92 mph in a 65 mph zone. On April 17, 1991, Bieniemy failed to appear in court on charges relating to the March 21 incident. A bench warrant was issued in Colorado for his arrest on April 23, 1991, two days after Bieniemy was drafted in the NFL. [30]

On July 4, 1990, Bieniemy pleaded no contest to interfering with a firefighter who had been performing his duties to extinguish a fire in Bieniemy's mother's garage. [30] Bieniemy received an eight-month suspended sentence [31] and was suspended for one game. [32] Bieniemy was instructed to do 40 hours of community service and attend an eight-hour firefighting training session. [30] An assistant city attorney said that Bieniemy failed to attend the firefighting training session as stipulated in the plea agreement, but Bieniemy asserted the session was optional. [30]

On September 27, 1993, Bieniemy was arrested for allegedly harassing a female parking attendant. According to the police report, while with his friends, Bieniemy put his hand on the attendant's neck, startling her. She told police [31] that Bieniemy and his friends took off their pants and began urinating nearby. Bieniemy was also named in an outstanding warrant on a charge of driving with a suspended license. As a result of this incident, Bieniemy was banned from the school campus for a year. [13] [33]

In April 2001, Bieniemy was arrested for driving under the influence and was docked a month's pay. [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeShaun Foster</span> American football player and coach (born 1980)

DeShaun Xavier Foster is an American college football coach and former player who is the head football coach for the UCLA Bruins. He played professionally as a running back for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Foster played collegiately for UCLA, earning All-American honors in 2001. He is a member the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Norton Jr.</span> American football player and coach (born 1966)

Kenneth Howard Norton Jr. is an American professional football coach and former player who is the linebackers coach for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1988 NFL draft.

Karl James Dorrell is an American football coach. He has been the head coach for the UCLA Bruins and Colorado Buffaloes, being named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year for both. Dorrell led the UCLA Bruins to five bowl appearances and was the first African American head football coach in their history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darrell Bevell</span> American football coach (born 1970)

Darrell Wayne Bevell is an American football coach who is the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings from 2006 to 2010, the Seattle Seahawks from 2011 to 2017, the Detroit Lions in 2019 and for the first 11 games of the 2020 season before being named the interim head coach for the remainder of the Lions season, and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. Bevell played college football for the University of Wisconsin, where he was a four-year starting quarterback.

William Scott Musgrave is an American football coach and former player who is the senior offensive assistant for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He is a former quarterback, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for multiple NFL teams. He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, earning all-conference honors in the Pac-10. He is also the uncle of Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice Jones-Drew</span> American football player (born 1985)

Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew, often called "MJD", is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, earning unanimous All-American honors in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Cable</span> American football player and coach (born 1964)

Thomas Lee Cable Jr. is an American football coach in the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Lynn</span> American football player and coach (born 1968)

Anthony Ray Lynn is an American professional football coach and former running back who is the run game coordinator and running backs coach for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played running back for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and in the NFL for six seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos where he won Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII. Lynn entered coaching after retiring as a player in 2000, later serving as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers from 2017 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Matsko (American football coach)</span> American football coach (born 1951)

John Matsko is an American football offensive line coach who coached for several college football and National Football League (NFL) teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Shurmur</span> American football player and coach (born 1965)

Patrick Carl Shurmur is an American football coach who serves as the offensive coordinator at the University of Colorado Boulder. Prior to joining the staff at Colorado, he most recently served as the offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 2020 to 2021. A 32-year coaching veteran, Shurmur has 21 seasons of NFL experience, including the last 11 years as a head coach or offensive coordinator. Shurmur has four years of experience as a head coach, working in that role with the New York Giants from 2018 to 2019 and with the Cleveland Browns from 2011 to 2012. He also served as interim head coach for Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the 2015 season. He has been an offensive coordinator for seven seasons, previously coaching in that role with the Minnesota Vikings (2016–2017), Philadelphia Eagles (2013–2015) and the St. Louis Rams (2009–2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darrin Chiaverini</span> American football player and coach (born 1977)

Darrin Earl Chiaverini is an American college football coach and former wide receiver. He is the head football coach for Northeastern State University, a position he has held since 2024. He played college football at Colorado. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zac Robinson</span> American football player and coach (born 1986)

Zachary Ross Robinson is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played quarterback at Oklahoma State and was selected by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, and Cincinnati Bengals before retiring in 2013. Robinson became a coach in 2019, serving as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Rams.

Thomas Brown is an American professional football coach and former running back who is the interim head coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Brown played college football at Georgia and played professionally in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns. He previously served as an assistant coach for several NFL and college football teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 UCLA Bruins football team</span> American college football season

The 2008 UCLA Bruins football team represented the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They opened the season at home against Tennessee under new head coach Rick Neuheisel, at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California. The Bruins played six of the Top 25 teams in the 2007 final Associated Press rankings. More than half of the opponents had won nine or more games during the 2007 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chip Kelly</span> American football coach (born 1963)

Charles Edward Kelly is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He came to prominence as a college football head coach for the Oregon Ducks from 2009 to 2012, leading them to the 2011 BCS National Championship Game. Kelly's success led to a stint in the National Football League (NFL), where he coached for four seasons, three with the Philadelphia Eagles (2013–2015) and one with the San Francisco 49ers (2016). After the NFL, Kelly returned to college in 2018 as the head coach of UCLA Bruins, coaching for six seasons before leaving in 2024 to join Ohio State as their offensive coordinator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 UCLA Bruins football team</span> American college football season

The 2006 UCLA Bruins football team represented the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California and were coached by Karl Dorrell. It was Dorrell's fourth season as the UCLA head coach. The Bruins finished 7–6 overall, and were fourth in the Pacific-10 Conference with a 5–4 record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jedd Fisch</span> American football coach (born 1976)

Jedd Ari Fisch is an American football coach, currently the head coach at the University of Washington. He was previously the head coach at the University of Arizona for three seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 UCLA Bruins football team</span> American college football season

The 2014 UCLA Bruins football team represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by third-year head coach Jim L. Mora and played its home games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. They were members of the South Division of the Pac-12 Conference. The team was featured in the Pac-12 Network's The Drive program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua Kelley</span> American football player (born 1997)

Joshua Tyler Kelley is an American professional football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He began his college football career with the UC Davis Aggies before transferring to the UCLA Bruins program. Kelley rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons with the Bruins, earning second-team all-conference honors in the Pac-12 in 2019. He was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Bleymaier</span> American football coach (born 1982)

Joe Bleymaier is an American football coach who is the pass game coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously a quality control coach, pass game analyst, assistant quarterbacks coach, and wide receivers coach for the Chiefs. He was previously a quality control coach at the University of Colorado Boulder.

References

  1. ↑ "1999 NFL PRONUNCIATION GUIDE". NFL.com. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Simers, T. J. (October 23, 1992). "Bieniemy Now Makes Trouble for Opponents". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  3. ↑ Robb, Sharon (December 25, 1989). "Colorado's Bieniemy Puts Problems in Past". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Eric Bieniemy CFB". Sports Reference. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  5. ↑ "All-Big Eight football". The Salina Journal. November 23, 1988. p. 11.
  6. ↑ "OTL: Fifth-and-goal". ESPN. October 6, 2010. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  7. ↑ Selby, Zach. "Five things to know about Eric Bieniemy". Commanders.com. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  8. ↑ "1990 Heisman Trophy Voting". Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  9. 1 2 "Eric Bieniemy". lostlettermen.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Eric Bieniemy (2010) - CU Athletic Hall of Fame". cubuffs.com. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  11. ↑ "1991 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Five Things to Know About New Chiefs' OC Eric Bieniemy". chiefs.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Bach, Jessica; Tran, Bruce (April 5, 2004). "Football: Bieniemy to likely face questioning". Daily Bruin. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Vikings promote RB coach Bieniemy". espn.com. July 26, 2010. Archived from the original on December 10, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  15. 1 2 "Eric Bieniemy is ready to be a head coach. Which NFL team will finally take him?". Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  16. ↑ Bergman, Jeremy (January 9, 2018). "Chiefs promote Eric Bieniemy to offensive coordinator". NFL.com. Archived from the original on January 10, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  17. ↑ Lund, Spencer. "Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Becomes 2nd Ever to Throw 50 TDs and 5,000 Yards in a Season". complex.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Super Bowl LIV - San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs - February 2nd, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Super Bowl LVII - Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs - February 12th, 2023". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  20. ↑ Keim, John. "Commanders officially name Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  21. ↑ Jhabvala, Nicki (February 17, 2023). "Commanders hire Eric Bieniemy as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator". The Washington Post . Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  22. ↑ Keim, John; Teicher, Adam (February 17, 2023). "What Eric Bieniemy's move means for the Chiefs, Commanders and his career". ESPN.com . Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  23. ↑ "2023 NFL Offense Rankings: Team Pass and Rush Stats". Fox Sports.com. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Commanders fire Eric Bieniemy, coach Dan Quinn says". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  25. ↑ Podell, Garrett (February 24, 2024). "UCLA hires Eric Bieniemy: Ex-Chiefs, Commanders offensive coordinator joins Bruins as associate head coach/OC". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  26. ↑ Bromberg, Nick. "Sources: Eric Bieniemy out after one season as UCLA's offensive coordinator". sports.yahoo.com. Yahoo!. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  27. ↑ Bolch, Ben (December 5, 2024). "UCLA parts with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy after one difficult season". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Jamal Bieniemy player profile". SoonerSports.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  29. 1 2 3 Reilly, Rick (February 27, 1989). "What Price Glory?". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  30. 1 2 3 4 "Newest Charger on the Run : Colorado Warrant for Bieniemy's Arrest Is Latest Brush with Law". Los Angeles Times. April 23, 1991. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  31. 1 2 "Chargers' Bieniemy Arrested". Orlando Sentinel. September 27, 1993. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  32. ↑ "Colorado tailback suspended for alteraction". UPI. July 24, 1990. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  33. ↑ "Lawrence Journal-World - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Eric Bieniemy Arrested in DUI Case". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.