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For too long, UCLA fans have complained that the university and athletic department was not taking football seriously enough. Given its location in Southern California and huge alumni base, as well as success across the athletic department outside of football, it’s hard to believe that UCLA can’t be a consistent winner.
But, as they get ready to move to the Big Ten for next season, they’re trying to change it. New head coach Deshaun Foster has made a blockbuster hire in former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator and two-time Super Bowl Champion assistant coach Eric Bieniemy.
SOURCE: UCLA is working toward hiring former NFL OC Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator, @TheAthletic has learned.
Bieniemy grew up in southern California and previously coached at UCLA from 2003-05. ESPN first reported.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) February 25, 2024
This is an absolutely fantastic hire by Foster and UCLA. Let’s set aside the X’s and O’s ability of Eric Bieniemy. He’s an accomplished offensive coordinator in the NFL, which says enough about that.
But, as a recruiter, Bieniemy is going to be phenomenal. Eric Bieniemy was a superstar running back at Colorado, where he finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1990. I think that’s a fact that has been lost on some people, but it will still resonate in the homes of recruits.
That’s not to mention his NFL playing career and long stint as an NFL assistant. Imagine being able to walk into the room of a highly-touted Southern California quarterback and being able to say you had a great deal of influence in the development of Patrick Mahomes. You can do the same thing with pretty much every position on offense, given the Chiefs’ success over the last few years.
Plus, let’s face it, Foster going from a running backs coach to head coach is a huge leap. Having a guy like Bieniemy who can truly be the head coach of the offense while Foster has more of a CEO role is a very smart play by UCLA.
It will take a few years to get it going there, I feel like. The schedule is brutal next year for the Bruins. But, this hire will go a long way.