“I can only be me.” said the Chiefs’ Eric Bieniemy. “Some team has to want me.”
While most are up in arms over Black coaches getting blanked from six of the seven NFL head coaching vacancies, Eric Bieniemy isn’t letting the anger distract him from preparing for his second straight Super Bowl appearance.
Per ESPN.com, the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator isn’t sweating yet another year without offers.
“It’s always about getting the right job,” said Bieniemy. “Sometimes the job and the person have to connect. There has to be a connection. The only thing I can do is be my most authentic self. That’s who I am. I can only be me. Some team has to want me. For some reason, that chemistry has not been a fit. There has not been that opportunity to connect, but that’s OK. At the end of the day, I have the opportunity to go out here and work with the Kansas City Chiefs, which is a great organization.”
While Bieniemy has led the Chiefs’ offense to two consecutive Super Bowls, the offensive coordinator can’t seem to garner a head coaching offer despite a league that is constantly searching for the next offensive genius. And while he prepares his game plan for Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill, it’s mindnumbing to see the hypocrisy of the hires made this season.
Even Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid is confused as to why his offensive coordinator hasn’t gotten that call yet.
“Eric Bieniemy works his tail off and he is relentless in studying the game,” said Reid. “He’s relentless in studying what would be his plan as a head football coach. This guy doesn’t miss a beat, and he was that way as a player, he’s been that way as a coach, whether it was coaching the running backs or now working the offense as a whole as a coordinator. So, I don’t understand everything, I’m not an owner, I don’t sit in those meetings to interview head coaches, but I would just tell you that whoever gets him whenever they get him will be very, very lucky.”
Patrick Mahomes echoed the same sentiment.
“Obviously, you know he’s disappointed he didn’t get the opportunity to become a head coach after this season, but he knows that all he can do is make himself and this team better every single day. He comes with that mindset every single day and it helps us be the best team that we can possibly be.”
Yet despite the frustration and angst, Bieniemy understands what’s at stake. Back to back Super Bowl victories is the priority, and everything else will work itself out.
“I learned a long time ago how to persevere through adversity. The beauty of it is not so much that I have to persevere, because that’s going to take care of itself. It’s making sure that whatever is taking place with Eric Bieniemy isn’t becoming a distraction in us pursuing our dreams and our goals.”
Hopefully Eric Bieniemy won’t have to persevere through adversity for too much longer.
