Sources: Bieniemy nearing deal to be UCLA’s OC
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Pete Thamel
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Adam Schefter
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Adam Schefter
ESPN Senior Writer
- ESPN NFL Insider
- Joined ESPN in 2009
- Former president of the Pro Football Writers of America and the author of four books
Former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is finalizing a two-year deal to join UCLA‘s staff as the Bruins’ associate head coach/offensive coordinator, sources told ESPN on Saturday night.
The move marks a significant hire for new UCLA coach DeShaun Foster, who intends to forge an NFL identity with the Bruins. It also marks a homecoming for Bieniemy, who grew up in the area and was a Bruins assistant from 2003 to 2005.
“Southern California,” Bieniemy wrote in an email Saturday. “I attended high school there. I started my career in the league here [with the Chargers]. It’s obviously great to be back with the Bruins, where I was previously employed.”
Bieniemy had opportunities to remain in the NFL. He interviewed for the Commanders’ head-coaching job and two other offensive coordinator jobs. Bieniemy said one NFL team offered him its assistant head coach/running backs job. But ultimately, he took his time and found his way back to school.
“I have had countless conversations and interviews with many teams, and I have been applauded and lauded,” Bieniemy wrote. “I can’t say why certain decisions were or were not made but it had nothing to [do] with a lack of anything on my end.
“My self-dignity, worth, integrity, personhood, manhood will never be questioned or compromised. It is not always about money, either. With everything in life, it is often all about timing. At this time in my life, the opportunity affords me the pleasure of continuing to be a maker and leader of men, to do what I love, follow my passion and my dreams while not compromising on who I am as a man.”
This will be Bieniemy’s first college job since working as Colorado‘s offensive coordinator from 2011 to 2012. Foster prioritized hiring a coach with Bieniemy’s experience — and Bieniemy was equally as excited about trying to help UCLA’s rookie head coach.
Foster does not have coordinator experience. By bringing in someone with Bieniemy’s breadth of experience, he has begun to set the vision of what UCLA will look like on that side of the ball. Former head coach Chip Kelly served as UCLA’s offensive playcaller in recent seasons.
“This is a great opportunity for me to help support DeShaun as a head coach, to work with him and to work for him as well,” Bieniemy wrote. “My goal is to help him to be a successful head coach in our profession.
“It’s an opportunity for my family and I to return back to a place that we once called home.”
Bieniemy brings 16 years of NFL experience to the Bruins. He spent the 2023 season as the Commanders’ offensive coordinator and won two Super Bowls as the Kansas City Chiefs‘ offensive coordinator, a role he held from 2018 to 2022.
As a coach who went to five straight conference championship games that included three Super Bowl appearances in that span, Bieniemy believes he brings a lot to the Bruins that can translate on the recruiting trail.
“My goal is to help generate some excitement for potential student-athletes to consider attending UCLA as we collectively prepare for the move to the Big Ten Conference in recruiting,” he wrote.
Other coaches have gone from the NFL back to college and succeeded. Bieniemy pointed out that Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh, Bill O’Brien and Kliff Kingsbury did it. Now he is doing the same, leaving the NFL and going back to school, with an eye of conquering his new world.
“I have no regrets with the Commanders,” Bieniemy wrote. “Contrary to what some think and what has been put out in the media, I was not fired. I actually just chose not to stay. Learned a lot and that is always a good thing.
“I will continue my walk in my peace. I’m excited to be here and to coach these young men and football again. My expectations and desire to be excellent will never be turned down. I’m fired up. Let’s go.”
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Greg Wyshynski
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the NHL is warning teams against taking warmups without helmets, a growing trend this season that violates NHL rules.
Daly told ESPN that the league is sending out a memo to remind teams that helmets are mandatory in warmups for “all players who entered the NHL beginning with the 2019-2020 season or later,” per Rule 9.6.
The Ottawa Senators skated out for warmups without helmets in a game at the Vegas Golden Knights last Wednesday, having lost in their past six trips to T-Mobile Arena. Forward Shane Pinto told TSN that the players decided at a team dinner to change their Vegas luck by doffing their helmets. “It was pretty cool to do,” he said.
The Senators won the game 4-3 in a shootout.
The San Jose Sharks also went without helmets in warmups in Vegas, having lost five straight road games to the Knights. Alas, their luck didn’t change, losing 4-3 to their division rival. Forward Will Smith said there was no particular motivation for it.
“It was a team decision. It was Saturday night in Vegas, so I think all the guys were pretty easy to [do] it,” he said.
On Tuesday night, the New Jersey Devils skated out wearing hats instead of helmets, in honor of defenseman Brenden Dillon‘s 1,000th NHL game.
Rule 9.6 reads:
“It is mandatory for all players who entered the NHL beginning with the 2019-2020 season or later to wear their helmet during pre-game warm-up. To be clear, all players who entered the League prior to the 2019-2020 season and who are currently playing are exempt from this mandate.”
The NHL amended its rules in 2022 to mandate helmet usage in warmups out of player safety concerns, in particular with rookies who took the ice without helmets before their debut games as part of a longstanding NHL tradition. Much like the league’s visor rule, some veteran players were “grandfathered” in and exempt.
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