Eric Bieniemy was probably one of the biggest surprise additions to the Chicago Bears coaching staff in January. He'd spent the past several years as an offensive coordinator in various locations. There was no reason to think he would be interested in taking over a position group again. So when he signed on as the Bears' running backs coach, it was considered a major coup. Bieniemy has a long history of coaching that position. He won a national championship in college playing it. Then, he developed future stars like Maurice Jones-Drew and Adrian Peterson. One person who knows about him is Andy Reid.
The Kansas City Chiefs head coach worked with Bieniemy from 2013 through 2022. Together, they went to three Super Bowls and won two. During that time, the young coach developed future Pro Bowler Kareem Hunt before taking over the offense in 2018, where he instantly elevated Patrick Mahomes to superstar. Reid was asked by Herb Howard at the NFL Owners Meetings this week about what the Bears are getting with Bieniemy. The future Hall of Famer didn't mince words.
They're getting the best running backs coach in the business and an elite leader.
Andy Reid is biased, but that doesn't mean he's wrong.
One merely has to look at a person's track record to judge whether he's good at what he does. Bieniemy has found success everywhere he's been as an assistant coach. He elevated Jones-Drew and Peterson, as mentioned before. He also helped the Chiefs pinpoint eventual Super Bowl heroes Damien Williams and Isiah Pacheco. In five seasons together, Mahomes had a 106.0 passer rating under Bieniemy. In the two years following his departure, the Chiefs quarterback dipped to 93.0
What Andy Reid said wasn't lip service. Bieniemy is a damn good football coach. The key issue for some is his leadership style. He's known for taking a tough-love approach to players. He works them hard and is vocally demanding of them. Most would consider him a hard ass. Then again, after what the Bears went through with Matt Eberflus and his staff, Bieniemy might be exactly the type of coach they need.
