Eric Bieniemy deserves to be a head coach in the NFL

The 2023 NFL head coach hiring cycle is now officially over, following the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals filling their roles with Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon respectively.

There have been some exciting hires, but once again, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy was passed up for a head coaching job, despite being part of a Super Bowl winning side for the second time in four years.

Many NFL commentators and players, including former Chief Tyreek Hill, took to social media to speak up for Bieniemy, who they believe should have been given an opportunity to lead his own team by now.

Many argue that Bieniemy needs to be out of the limelight of Andy Reid and become a competent playcaller in his own right. His success can be attributed to the quality of Reid and Patrick Mahomes, rather than his own brilliance. But I’m sorry, but that narrative doesn’t sit well.

One of the best offensive coordinators who keeps getting passed over

Yes, you can argue that the coaches hired during this cycle made sense for what teams were looking for. Shane Steichen’s strong approach to the ground game bodes well for the Colts’ roster, the Broncos needed a big name in Sean Payton to spark excitement after a woeful 2022, and the Panthers were desperate for a reliable head coach, necessitating their former QB Frank Reich.

However, when we go back over recent years, we see the disparate nature between how Bieniemy was treated by NFL teams compared to other coaches.

Having an elite player on the team hasn’t stopped other offensive coordinators from getting top jobs. For the Patriots, Tom Brady helped both Bill O’Brien and Josh McDaniels (essentially twice with the Broncos and now the Raiders) get jobs. In Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers did the same for Joe Philbin, who wound up in Miami, and Nathaniel Hackett, who flamed out after one year in Denver in 2022. Only McDaniels remains in his position, and even he has been under pressure.

And winning a Super Bowl has a big impact on whether someone gets hired. In 2022, the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl, which helped the team’s offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell to become the new head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. So surely, Bieniemy has gone above and beyond to earn the right?

Since the Chiefs reached the first of their five straight AFC championship games back in 2019, Bieniemy has interviewed 17 times, with 16 different teams, for head-coaching positions. Why does he keep falling short in the eyes of NFL owners to lead their franchise?

Of course, there are many complexities to him not getting a role, such as other coaches having better connections to a team or system. Is it his character? Bieniemy was arrested on occasions as an assistant with the University of Colorado, more than 20 years in the past. But if clubs think Bieniemy doesn’t have the character, experience or expertise, then why is he still getting interviews? There is more to this than that.

Bieniemy is more qualified than most of his peers

Two former Chiefs offensive coordinators, Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy, were at the franchise under Reid and were in the same position as Bieniemy, not regular play-callers for most of their tenures. And neither won a Super Bowl. Yet both were hired as head coaches, Nagy by the Bears and Pederson with the Eagles. As both Nagy and Pederson are white, does race play a role?

This is similar to why former Dolphins head coach (and new Vikings DC) Brian Flores is suing the league for discrimination. His lawsuit even states:

“Without question, Mr. Bieniemy has the pedigree, track record and reputation to make him a sought-after Head Coach. However, despite being interviewed for approximately 20 vacant positions over the last five years, no team has extended Mr. Bieniemy an offer. During this time, numerous white candidates who are clearly less qualified have taken over the Head Coach duties for numerous NFL teams.”

It is hard to disagree. If you think about it, Bieniemy is probably on the greatest five-year offensive stretch in NFL history. NFL owners just won’t hire diverse head coaches, as they continue to show.

This season in particular, Bieniemy shattered any doubts of his own ability, as the Chiefs had their best offensive season under Mahomes. Bieniemy helped his quarterback become the second QB in history behind Peyton Manning to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in a season, whilst also being forced to adapt to a system without Hill and produce a very different passing game.

Bieniemy has played a central role in the complete redevelopment of the Kansas City playbook, with modifications including more swing passes to running backs and utilising a variety of receivers throughout, whilst using Travis Kelce more to mitigate the loss of Hill. Reid even stated to the football world in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s Super Bowl victory: “Eric Bieniemy was phenomenal.”

What’s next for Bieniemy?

Whatever the reason for another year without being hired as a HC, it makes little to no sense. Bieniemy has earned a chance to be a head coach, and has done far more than some other coaches who have been hired over the years.

He’s out of contract this year, meaning he’s effectively free to take another job, which seems to be what he’ll likely do. The probable outcome is Bieniemy becomes the OC for the Washington Commanders, with the last box to check being developing a young quarterback.

But will a change of scenery with a different offensive coordinator role make a difference? I’m not convinced. Bieniemy deserves the opportunity, and it is long overdue.