Eric Bieniemy gets head coaching interest from Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals

Four different teams have shown interest in Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy as a new head coach already.

It didn’t take long for the phone to ring. Once it started, it hasn’t stopped. Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has been one of the hottest names in the rumor mill ever since several NFL head coaches started learning they were out of a job on Black Monday.

So far, the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins have all called to inquire about Bieniemy’s interest and availability for an interview as each team searches for their newest head coach.

It was no surprise for some of the teams to reach out to Bieniemy given that it was clear they were making a change. The New York Jets had lost 34 games in the last three seasons under Todd Bowles. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were going nowhere with Dirk Koetter at the helm. In the defense of both men, however, it’s not as if the front office, in either case, was all that successful with talent acquisition.

It is surprising, however, to see the Dolphins and Cardinals both on this list. Adam Gase has a solid reputation but was ousted in Miami anyway when clear relational issues emerged between players and coach and owner and coach. Gase was celebrated as a strong offensive mind in NFL circles, so Bieniemy would bring the same sort of reputation to the role—albeit with less experience.

For the Cardinals, Bieniemy would be a complete turnaround after just a single season under the defensive-minded Steve Wilks. The fact that Wilks received very little time makes the Cardinals look reactive, but it might also buy time for the next head coach—knowing a franchise wouldn’t want to become known as a coach’s nightmare (a la Cleveland West).

What is clear at this point is that being a part of Andy Reid’s; coaching staff is very, very good for personal ambition in the NFL. The Chiefs have the league’s likely MVP under center at the age of 23, which will bring significant attention to the staff for the foreseeable future—and the team has already won three straight division titles

Bieniemy looks like he’ll be the latest to leave K.C. for the sake of the head coaching opportunity he’s likely dreamed of for some time.