Ranking Eric Bieniemy’s potential top head coaching opportunities

AVENTURA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: Eric Bieniemy Offensive Coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs speaks to the media during the Kansas City Chiefs media availability prior to Super Bowl LIV at the JW Marriott Turnberry on January 29, 2020 in Aventura, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
AVENTURA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: Eric Bieniemy Offensive Coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs speaks to the media during the Kansas City Chiefs media availability prior to Super Bowl LIV at the JW Marriott Turnberry on January 29, 2020 in Aventura, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
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Eric Bieniemy, Chiefs
KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 7: Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs, shouted at a Jacksonville Jaguars player in anger as words were exchanged between the two teams in the Chiefs’ 30-14 win in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Eric Bieniemy will likely be the top name in the head coaching search this offseason. Where is his ideal landing spot?

Many people believed that Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy would be one of the top head coaching candidates last offseason. A number of teams had head coaching vacancies, and after helping guide the Chiefs offense to a top unit in 2018 and 2019, a head coaching job was surely around the corner.

Unfortunately for Bieniemy, the coaching search ended up being considerably more competitive than many even give it credit for today. Multiple long-time head coaches, including two who had been to Super Bowls in Ron Rivera and Mike McCarthy, snatched up jobs immediately. The other outstanding jobs were with franchises with checkered recent coaching selections, and they ended up going with other candidates.

Regardless of the reasoning behind the result, Bieniemy now finds himself in an extremely enviable position. There are a number of teams with talent at the most important positions, including quarterback, and he will undoubtedly be at the top of the list this offseason to take over one of these franchises.

Let’s take a look at the five most likely head coaching vacancies and rank them from bottom to top.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

If I’m being honest, if for some reason the chips fell in similar fashion to last season and the Jacksonville Jaguars were the only option for Eric Bieniemy, I’d argue he’d be better off waiting another year.

The Jaguars have never really achieved any level of success in the 26 years their franchise has existed. They’ve only made the playoffs seven times, and their current head coach Doug Marrone has taken a team with a bevy of talent and ran them into the proverbial ground over the last three seasons.

It appeared that the Jaguars found a diamond in the rough in Gardner Minshew, the sixth round draft pick out of Washington State University. With Minshew Mania sweeping the nation, the Jaguars made 2019 interesting. The beginning of 2020 has proven that to be more a mirage than oasis to rest in.

The truth is, the Jacksonville Jaguars are headed in the wrong direction and unfortunately there’s very little for an incoming coach to build off of. Gone are numerous top picks, and in their place reside a number of journeymen and undrafted free agents.

While I’m a sucker for a good underdog story, if it were me picking a job to start my head coaching career, I’d steer clear of the Jaguars franchise.

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