Eric Bienemy: Passed over for HC interviews, now replaced as OC by Kingsbury

[EasternOHBillsFan]

This is a VERY interesting situation that has developed. Eric Bienemy has problems and can't seem to find a head coaching gig and now gets replaced as OC in Washington. Wow!

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39461124/washington-commanders-hiring-kilff-kingsbury-offensive-coordinator

 

https://fansided.com/posts/eric-bieniemy-missed-opportunity-commanders-chiefs-right

[Low Positive]

1 minute ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

This is a VERY interesting situation that has developed. Eric Bienemy has problems and can't seem to find a head coaching gig and now gets replaced as OC in Washington. Wow!

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39461124/washington-commanders-hiring-kilff-kingsbury-offensive-coordinator

 

https://fansided.com/posts/eric-bieniemy-missed-opportunity-commanders-chiefs-right

A new head coach usually brings in his own staff, so this is not surprising. I think he'll get an OC or a "senior offensive assistant" job somewhere. 

[KDIGGZ]

What is his appeal? He left KC and they still won. He went to Washington and they didn't win. What does he have to hang his hat on? That he coached maybe the best young QB in history? Not a tough job. Clearly they didn't need him and neither did Washington 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

Isn’t he a super, super jerk?

[JPL7]

There is/was a reason none of the teams he interviewed with about a HC job never hired him. And it wasn’t because he’s black and the owners are racist, like all the sports talking heads tried to say. The dude is a bum and not a leader of men. Period! 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

12 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

A new head coach usually brings in his own staff, so this is not surprising. I think he'll get an OC or a "senior offensive assistant" job somewhere. 

Agreed. I don’t think this is an indictment on him as a coach. I actually was a doubter of EB, but I felt like he did some really good things in Washington, and I am coming around on him.

[DJB]

Bienemy is the most overrated OC to come along in the last 5 years . Rode the coattails of Mahomes and Reid 

[billieve420]

1 hour ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

Isn’t he a super, super jerk?

I think this is the biggest issue. Thought he did a solid job in Washington all things considered. 
 

Apparently not the easiest guy to get along with. With today’s youth handling them with anything other than kid gloves probably is not going to make you a popular guy in the locker room.

 

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/eric-bieniemys-fiery-coaching-style-reality-check-for-commanders

 

So not surprised new HC would go with someone new if you didn’t have personal relationship with prior coaches. 

 

[zow2]

He’s a hard ass on the players and they don’t like it and don’t respond to it well.  Andy Reid was able to insulate it in KC but the players in Washington didn’t like EB at all.

[MJS]

There were rumors of strife in KC with Bienemy. And rumors of him being terrible in interviews. And rumors of him being hard to get along with for players and other coaches.

 

Where there is smoke, there's fire. Just keep him away from the Bills.

[bigduke6]

look some guys,  just rub people the wrong way.  doesnt matter how talented they are.  people looking for obvious racial thing in all this.  i dont see it.   theres more here,  theres been whispers before about him not being head coach material,  has nothing to do with his color.   not everybody becomes a head coach,  million legit reasons why.

[Beck Water]

2 hours ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

This is a VERY interesting situation that has developed. Eric Bienemy has problems and can't seem to find a head coaching gig and now gets replaced as OC in Washington. Wow!

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39461124/washington-commanders-hiring-kilff-kingsbury-offensive-coordinator

 

https://fansided.com/posts/eric-bieniemy-missed-opportunity-commanders-chiefs-right

 

Dan Quinn hiring his own staff especially OC and DC is SOP for a HC change

At the least it’s more common than not

 

But

 

What’s intriguing about this, is that 1) Sam Howell showed promise 2) The Commanders own the #2 pick 3) Kingsbury just spent last season coaching Caleb Williams at USC (Kingsbury was his QB coach)

 

So….what will happen there?

[Albany,n.y.]

6 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

Dan Quinn hiring his own staff especially OC and DC is SOP for a HC change

At the least it’s more common than not

 

But

 

What’s intriguing about this, is that 1) Sam Howell showed promise 2) The Commanders own the #2 pick 3) Kingsbury just spent last season coaching Caleb Williams at USC (Kingsbury was his QB coach)

 

So….what will happen there?

Howell really didn't show much promise. In fact, he was benched at the end of the season, but then Jacoby Brissett got injured and they had to send Howell back out there when they had already given up on him. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

By all reports he is an awful person and he never called plays in KC. 

At least losers like Josh McDaniels and Adam Gase called plays before proving how awful they are without HOF QBs. 

Probably should go the college OC route and try to make a name for himself there 

[Matt_In_NH]

8 hours ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

Isn’t he a super, super jerk?

I do t know but he gave Milano lots and lots of “flowers”

[GunnerBill]

Washington were 24th in yards, and 25th in points offensively in 2023. I think that is probably a very slight overperformance of their talent but not significant. They had some success early in the year with Sam Howell, but he cooled off as the season went on. I quite like him as a gamer. Think he definitely has a future in the league but probably not as a starter. He reminds me a lot of Baker Mayfield though and with better talent he could have some success. 

 

Bienemy went there to prove he wasn't just riding Reid and Mahomes's coat tails. I think he proved he can coach, he is a credible OC. But he didn't prove himself more than that. I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up sitting this year out, or takes essentially an advisory role somewhere, but he will be back as an OC in 2025. I think his shot at Head Coach jobs are passed though. You are a hot candidate for a relatively short window and once your window is gone it can be gone for good. I always cite Ray Horton for this. He was a really hot HC candidate for two cycles - think it was 2012 and 2013 - he is now coaching in the USFL. Teryl Austin was another - he had three years in the mid-2010s of multiple interviews. He is still in the league as the Steelers DC they finished 6th best this year in points against, but there were zero interviews coming out of it. His moment has passed. Kellen Moore might be going the same way. Had a couple of hot years when he first became OC in Dallas where he had multiple HC interviews. Other than a courtesy interview as a man on staff in LA he didn't have a sniff this year. 

[FireChans]

2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Washington were 24th in yards, and 25th in points offensively in 2023. I think that is probably a very slight overperformance of their talent but not significant. They had some success early in the year with Sam Howell, but he cooled off as the season went on. I quite like him as a gamer. Think he definitely has a future in the league but probably not as a starter. He reminds me a lot of Baker Mayfield though and with better talent he could have some success. 

 

Bienemy went there to prove he wasn't just riding Reid and Mahomes's coat tails. I think he proved he can coach, he is a credible OC. But he didn't prove himself more than that. I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up sitting this year out, or takes essentially an advisory role somewhere, but he will be back as an OC in 2025. I think his shot at Head Coach jobs are passed though. You are a hot candidate for a relatively short window and once your window is gone it can be gone for good. I always cite Ray Horton for this. He was a really hot HC candidate for two cycles - think it was 2012 and 2013 - he is now coaching in the USFL. Teryl Austin was another - he had three years in the mid-2010s of multiple interviews. He is still in the league as the Steelers DC they finished 6th best this year in points against, but there were zero interviews coming out of it. His moment has passed. Kellen Moore might be going the same way. Had a couple of hot years when he first became OC in Dallas where he had multiple HC interviews. Other than a courtesy interview as a man on staff in LA he didn't have a sniff this year. 

That’s why what Ben Johnson is doing is super risky imo. 

[Livinginthepast]

Eric "Sleeping with" Bieniemy!!  Sorry That's a little tribute to Chris Berman there circa 1990 for the old folks on here.

[DrDawkinstein]

Thought I saw a tweet that he's in consideration for the Raiders OC spot. Havent seen much else.

[DCOrange]

9 hours ago, Beck Water said:

 

Dan Quinn hiring his own staff especially OC and DC is SOP for a HC change

At the least it’s more common than not

 

But

 

What’s intriguing about this, is that 1) Sam Howell showed promise 2) The Commanders own the #2 pick 3) Kingsbury just spent last season coaching Caleb Williams at USC (Kingsbury was his QB coach)

 

So….what will happen there?

I think Washington should absolutely go QB at 2. I personally have Maye rated higher than Caleb so Chicago taking Caleb is perfect IMO. But I’m sure with Caleb growing up in DC and having the superstar aura around him already, Washington would love to bring him home and get their fans excited for the first time in awhile. Having said that, USC’s offense with Kingsbury and Caleb was absolutely garbage to watch. I don’t know how anyone could watch what they did this season and think that’s what they want to emulate in the NFL.

 

TLDR: there’s a lot of non football reasons for Washington to want Caleb but I think they are in a perfect spot right now where they can get who I believe is the best QB without needing to trade up and use their many other draft picks to add some much needed talent to the roster.