Eric Bieniemy’s return to the college ranks is over after one season.
The highly regarded coach is out as the offensive coordinator at UCLA after one season with the Bruins, according to multiple reports. Yahoo Sports was first to report the move.
According to a statement that Bieniemy’s agent, Jason Fletcher, sent to the NFL Network, Bieniemy and UCLA mutually parted ways and he eyes a return to the NFL.
‘After interviewing for head coaching jobs last year, (Bieniemy) wanted to stay active and busy,’ the statement read. ‘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.’
Once a NFL head coach candidate, Bieniemy returned to the college ranks to a school he had been at during the beginnings of his coaching career. The hope was that the veteran play caller would help boost UCLA’s offense under first-year head coach Foster in the school’s first season in the Big Ten.
However, the Bruins offense struggled throughout the season. The unit averaged 18.4 points per game − 126th in Division I out of 133 teams and third worst in the Big Ten − and it only scored more than 20 points in a contest twice. While the passing game under senior quarterback Ethan Garbers was decent at 242.2 yards per game (46th), the running game struggled with 86.6 yards a game, fourth-worst in the country. In total, the offense ranked 117th in the country in total offense as the team finished 5-7 and 3-6 in the Big Ten.
Bieniemy rose to prominence when he was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. After joining the staff in 2013, Bieniemy eventually became the offensive coordinator, orchestrating the start of the team’s dynasty with Patrick Mahomes emerging as a top player in the NFL. With Bieniemy calling plays, Kansas City won two Super Bowls and appeared in the title game three times in a four-year span.
Given Kansas City’s success, Bieniemy was widely believed to be a highly sought NFL head coach, but he never got the position despite interviews with multiple teams. After the Chiefs won Super Bowl 57, Bieniemy left the organization to become the Washington Commanders offensive coordinator for the 2023-24 season. The team finished 4-13 and restructured after the season, ending Bieniemy’s time with the team after one season.
It’s unclear if Bieniemy will attempt to return to the NFL as an offensive coordinator or as a head coach. There are currently head coach openings with the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears.