Eric Bieniemy: ‘I’m gonna keep working my ass off’ for head coach opportunity

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy says he’s going to keep “working his ass off” to get the head coaching opportunity he desires.

A few years ago, it would have been a completely laughable scenario to think that Eric Bieniemy would not have been made a head coach by the year 2022. As the main offensive assistant for a team that has enjoyed as much sustained success as anyone else, Bieniemy should have been hired years ago. Instead, he’s back for his tenth season with the Kansas City Chiefs and left wondering along with the rest of us.

To date, Bieniemy has interviewed for approximately half of all NFL teams without a head coaching offer. Earlier this offseason, it was even a question as to whether or not he would be back with the Chiefs or whether he might look elsewhere to shake things up, but the Chiefs decided to bring him back for the 2022 season—which will be his fifth year as offensive coordinator.

The good news for Bieniemy is that the NFL knows they are lacking in proper measures to push for diversity in hires for both head coach and the front office. The league just launched its first diversity hiring seminar, which was intended to allow future minority head coach and general manager candidates to meet NFL owners and attend workshops in an effort to boost familiarity and develop networking relationships.

Bieniemy was part of the two-day event and spoke very highly of its execution with reporters. Specifically, he said the chance to have those conversations between potential hires and owners was most important. “It just breaks down barriers, it breaks down walls when you can sit there and look someone in the eye and have a legit conversation with them about life.”

As for what he thinks about being on the outside looking into the head coaching world at this point, Bieniemy knows there’s only so much he can control. But in case anyone was curious, he’s still as hungry as ever.

“I just gotta go get it. I just gotta go get it. I’m not seeking any comfort. I haven’t gotten it, for whatever reason. It don’t matter. I’m gonna keep knocking on that damn door and I’m gonna keep working my ass off to make sure that it happens.”