Making the Case: Looking at Eric Bieniemy for LSU coaching job
LSU athletic director Scott Woodward was brought to Baton Rouge for one reason -- make the right hires needed to lead the LSU program through the next decade.
Woodward's ability to make transformative hires has been his calling card for years. It has only grown during his brief return to the Pelican State with the hires of Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey to lead the women's basketball team and poached Pac-12 Coach of the Year Jay Johnson from the Arizona baseball program.
But it is this hire that he be most remembered for, at least around these parts, so the pressure is building in Baton Rouge.
In this series, TigerDetails will explore the options for LSU under a traditional Rivals headline "Making the Case." In the sixth part of the series, we take a dive into Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy's career.
Previous Installments of Making the Case:
- Making the Case for Lane Kiffin to LSU
- Making the Case for Mel Tucker to LSU
- Making the Case for Lincoln Riley to LSU
THE RESUME
Eric Bieniemy has been one of the hottest offensive coordinator names in the NFL head coaching searches over the past two seasons. Andy Reid has stood on the table for him on numerous occasions and the thought is that his time is coming. How long is he willing to wait?
Bieniemy's resume includes and illustrious collegiate career that was followed by a nine year playing career in the NFL, before turning to high school coaching, and all the way to being the offensive coordinator for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. It includes everything but a head coaching gig. Perhaps this is the opportunity he needs -- or even wants.
Bieniemy was a dynamic running back for Colorado and finished third in the 1990 Heisman ballot behind Ty Detmer and Raghib Ishmael. Bieniemy was a second-round pick for the San Diego Chargers in 1991 and played a total of nine-years for the Chargers, Bengals and Eagles. Once retiring from the NFL, Bieniemy quickly surfaced on the coaching scene as a high school assistant in Denver. In 2001, Colorado named Bieniemy its running back coach, where he stayed until 2003 when he joined the staff at UCLA.
Bieniemy quickly moved up the ranks and was named the Minnesota Vikings running backs coach in 2006. It was here that Bienimey started making a name for himself in coaching circles, and it didn't hurt when the guy you were coaching is named Adrian Peterson. The Vikings added the title of associate head coach to his title in 2010 before Bieniemy elected to return to Colorado University to get his feet wet as a play-caller for the Buffalos.
Bieniemy spent two years in that role prior to jumping back to the NFL as the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator. In 2018, Bieniemy became Reid's offensive coordinator and from that point on, the Chiefs became an offensive juggernaut that have broken numerous records, both individual and team along the way.
Bieniemy's offense in Kansas City has been prolific, innovative and challenging for opponents which culminated in a 2020 Super Bowl Championship. During his time in the NFL, Bieniemy has coached both Peterson and Mahomes.
2018 -- Chiefs ranked 1st in yards per game (425.6) and points per game (35.3).
2019 -- Chiefs ranked 6th in yards per game (379.2) and 5th in points per game (28.2)
2020 -- Chiefs ranked 1st in yards per game (415.8) and 6th in points per game (29.6)
2021 -- Chiefs rank 3rd in yards per game (402.4) and 10th in points per game (25.5)
THE FIT
Bieniemy does not have head coaching experience, so that box goes unchecked. But he is a proven leader and dynamic offensive mind and that should carry a lot of weight. If Scott Woodward even looks Joe Brady's way, then he should also take a deep dive into Bieniemy.
He comes from a great coaching tree (Andy Reid) and he is quite accustomed to handling the media. Although he is a New Orleans native, his ties are mostly in the midwest and on the West Coast, which could be a troubling issue for Woodward.
Bieniemy would also be LSU's first black coach, and while that may not matter to many, including Woodward, the fanbase became a little testy when the topic came up surrounding Mel Tucker early in the search. It's not that LSU fans didn't seem ready for a black coach, but they did voice some concern that there was rumored to be pressure to do so by LSU's new president. Those reports are extremely false and shameful, but it still lingers a bit.
Bieniemy hasn't been in the college game since 2012 when he was the offensive coordinator for Colorado. He was offered the head coaching job in 2020, but declined. LSU is a much better job that can pay a lot more than Colorado, but that is his alma mater, and he declined their offer. He is an NFL first and foremost, so that could be an area for concern long term if he were to win in Baton Rouge. But then again, if he gets an offer to coach in the NFL, then it is likely that he won big at LSU, and Woodward would probably be okay with that.
If you are looking for a dynamic offensive mind who runs a great system, can relate to players, has a strong NFL pedigree and is familiar with the state -- Bieniemy could be your guy.
THE CONCERNS
Bieinemy has done everything but run a program. While his resume is impressive, this would be his first head coaching gig on any level. While that is certainly a concern, he has some highly respected people saying he is more than capable.
Then there is the recruiting side of things. While Bieniemy has a couple years of collegiate coaching experience under his belt, he has yet to face recruiting battles like he would as LSU's head coach. He should be able to fill a staff with good coaches, but his coaching circles will be largely NFL guys, so building a staff of seasoned recruiters could be difficult.
Bieniemy also had a handful of run-ins with the law that stretched from the 90's to the early 2000's -- mostly as a player. His arrest included a charge for shoving a firefighter in 1990, grabbing a female parking lot attendant and threatening her in 1993, a bar fight in 1998, a DUI in 2001 and was implicated in a recruiting scandal in 2004 after an ESPN report saying the program used sex and alcohol to lure recruits. Nobody at Colorado was reprimanded after the report surfaced, though.
MAKING THE CASE
This hire would likely leave a large part of the fanbase yearning for more, but when it is broken down, it would make a ton of sense. Bieniemy is a dynamic NFL coordinator that recently won a Super Bowl, who is considered by many to be lead candidate for NFL vacancies. In fact, there have been a lot of people in the league that have been vocal about Bieniemy being deserving of a head coaching position in the NFL.
Then you have the fact that he runs the most dynamic offense in all of football. He is Mahomes' offensive coordinator and he also coached Peterson. That type of resume speaks to kids. Oh yeah, Bieniemy is also a New Orleans native -- another box checked.
Bieniemy is a no-nonsense type of coach that could bring NFL level of structure and discipline to a program looking for structure and discipline. He is Reid's choice as offensive coordinator and Reid is undoubtedly one of the best offensive minds in the history of this game. His resume and charisma should translate well on the recruiting trail, especially to quarterbacks, as Bieniemy is often mentioned when discussing Mahomes' development as an elite NFL quarterback.