With the Indianapolis Colts still looking for a head coach, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, is reportedly still in the mix.
The Indianapolis Colts have expressed interest in a few of the coordinators who are coaching on Championship Sunday, and according to a recent report, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, is a name that’s still in the running to be Indy’s next head coach. NFL reporter, Aaron Wilson, reported that Bieniemy is in the mix to be Indy’s next head coach but that he also has interest from other teams who would like to add him as an offensive coordinator.
Bieniemy already had a first interview with the Colts, and when he’s available after the AFC Championship, he will likely have his second interview with Indianapolis. The other candidates that Indy requested second interviews with are Jeff Saturday, Ejiro Evero, Raheem Morris, Wink Martindale, and Dan Quinn. However, Quinn told interested teams that he was committing to the Dallas Cowboys for 2023.
The Colts also had an interest in interviewing San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator, DeMeco Ryans, but after the initial interview had to be rescheduled, signs are now pointing to Ryans going to the Houston Texans or Denver Broncos. Whether or not Indy will be able to get an interview with Ryans remains to be seen. However, Indianapolis is expected to have a second interview with Bieniemy.
Eric Bieniemy could be the next coach for Colts
Bieniemy has been the offensive coordinator with the Chiefs since 2018. In that role, Bieniemy has not only learned from Andy Reid, who’s one of the best coaches of all time, but he has helped develop Patrick Mahomes into being one of the best quarterbacks in the league and has helped Kansas City have one of the most explosive offenses in the league yearly. Prior to being the offensive coordinator in Kansas City, Bieniemy was the Chiefs’ running backs coach.
He also spent time as the running backs coach for the Minnesota Vikings, UCLA, and Colorado. At Colorado, Bieniemy was also an offensive coordinator, and was offered the school’s head coaching job in 2020 but ultimately declined. He was also a legendary running back for the school during his playing days.
Since Kansas City’s current dominance started, Bieniemy has been a hot coaching candidate each hiring cycle. Despite interviewing with several teams, Bieniemy has yet to receive an NFL head coaching offer and that has resulted in everyone questioning: why? Was it any fault of Bieniemy’s, did teams already have their minds made up on other candidates, or was Bieniemy always close to being chosen but never actually got the call? It’s not clear what the case has been but the Colts could be the team that finally gives him a chance.
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