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.”
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scored his 903rd career NHL goal as the Washington Capitals beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Monday night.
Ovechkin also passed Gordie Howe for the most regular-season goals scored at a single venue in NHL history with his 442nd goal at Capital One Arena.
Matt Roy also scored for the Capitals, who ended a two-game losing skid to gain some traction in the standings.
Anze Kopitar scored for lone goal for the Kings, who had won four straight. It was just their second regulation road loss of the season.
Washington, which has been struggling to finish at 5-on-5, opened the scoring early, as Roy got to the front of the net and tipped Aliaksei Protas‘ point shot past Darcy Kuemper. It was Roy’s first goal in 25 games, dating to last season.
In the second period, Ovechkin crashed the crease and got to the front of the net before burying a behind-the-net feed from Connor McMichael. Ovechkin now has goals in back-to-back games and three of his past four.
Kopitar pulled Los Angeles to within one with his third goal of the season with 6:33 left in the second. He tapped in a backdoor feed from Corey Perry on a power play. Washington has now given up a power-play goal in three straight games and five of the past six.
Despite a rally, the Kings couldn’t beat Charlie Lindgren, who stopped 30 of 31 shots for his second win of the season after losing his previous four starts.
Kuemper stopped 23 of 25 in the defeat.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Los Angeles Kings have signed winger Adrian Kempe to a new eight-year contract worth $10.625 million annually, the team announced Monday.
The Kings viewed it as a priority to re-sign Kempe, especially as they prepare for captain Anze Kopitar to retire at the end of the season. The sides had been negotiating over the past few months, and Kempe, sources said, took a little less money, indicating his desire to stay in Los Angeles, where he believes he can win a Stanley Cup.
The contract runs through the 2033-34 season. The 29-year-old Kempe, a native of Sweden, has played his entire 10-year career with the Kings after being drafted in the first round in 2014.
Kempe, the Kings’ leading scorer in each of the past two seasons, has six goals and 19 points through 19 games this season.
He was arguably the biggest free agent remaining for the summer of 2026. Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov and Martin Necas all re-signed with their respective teams over the past two months.
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