Eric Bieniemy Emerging as Leading Candidate for USC Head Coaching Job
While many anticipate that Eric Bieniemy will continue to draw interest from NFL teams in regards to head coaching vacancies, the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs is now receiving it from collegiate programs as well.
The University of Southern California fired former head coach Clay Helton on Monday and doesn't appear to be wasting much time in advancing its search for a long-term replacement. Donte Williams is the interim head coach for the team but if things fall the right way, Bieniemy may be assuming the permanent role down the road.
At the beginning of the year, Bieniemy interviewed for multiple NFL head coaching vacancies. Every team with one — the Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars — aside from the Philadelphia Eagles completed the process. Unfortunately for him, he was unable to land a job with another team and returned to the Chiefs for the 2021 season.
Many believe that Bieniemy could wait out current Chiefs coach Andy Reid for a role, although the timeline and logic there is shaky at best. When factoring in the momentum that quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka has generated in recent months, that picture becomes even murkier.
In addition to his time in Kansas City, Bieniemy has coaching experience at Colorado (where he turned down a head coaching offer last year) and UCLA. He has yet to find a perfect fit for him as a head coach and as a result, he remains one of the driving forces behind one of the most powerful offensive attacks in NFL history. Time will tell if the USC reports and his rumored interest advance any further in the long run.
