Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has coached some of the most dominant NFL offenses in the league the past three seasons.
The Chiefs’ offensive success has made him a hot ticket name in many NFL coaching searches, but for some reason or another, he’s yet to earn a job in the league. On Tuesday, reports broke stating that Bieniemy could have an interest in leaving the NFL ranks for the recently vacated USC head-coaching job. Bieniemy, of course, is originally from La Puente, California — less than an hour away from the USC main campus.
On Thursday, Bieniemy reassured reporters that his lone focus is on getting his team prepared to play on “Sunday Night Football.”
“You know me — you guys know me,” Bieniemy said. “I am where my feet are. So when it’s all said and done with, I am focused on the task at hand. I’m not worried about anything where my name is being mentioned. My job right now is to make sure that we’re preparing for this weekend’s opponent.”
When asked what he’d say to them if USC called him right now, Bieniemy reiterated his previous point.
“I think you guys know me better than that,” He said. “If USC reached out to me right now, my answer would be, ‘I am preparing for this team to play against the Baltimore Ravens.’ And that’s how I roll, you guys know that. I am where my feet are. My job is to make sure that we’re ready to play a complete, sound 60-minute football game where we can come out and win the game.”
Asked whether he was open to taking a head-coaching job in college football, Bieniemy reassured reporters of his commitment to finishing out the season in Kansas City.
“You guys know that I’m a focused and driven individual,” Bieniemy said. “That’s a question that I can answer when the season is over. At this particular moment, my job is to make sure that we’re ready to go. . . I’ve got players here who are counting on me. I always talk to our players about being accountable to one another. So, how can you be accountable to someone if you’re allowing distractions to seep in?”
Chiefs fans should take solace in the fact that Bieniemy plans to follow through with his current commitment to Kansas City. Meanwhile, the USC head-coaching search will carry on with Bieniemy having spoken his peace. Whether they’re willing to wait to hire a coach of his caliber after the NFL’s season comes to an end, well, that remains to be seen.
