Normally an offensive coordinator who has gained a number of Super Bowls rings could be fast-tracked to a head teaching job within the NFL.
But not when you’re a Black man like Eric Bieniemy as one other NFL teaching cycle ended with out the Chiefs offensive coordinator employed as a head coach.
That grew to become official this week when the Indianapolis Colts employed Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and the Arizona Cardinals employed Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their coaches. Instead of being employed as a head coach, Bieniemy is contemplating a lateral transfer.
Bieniemy interviewed with the Washington Commanders on Thursday. Those talks have gone effectively and can proceed into Friday, in response to ESPN. But Bieniemy shouldn’t need to take one other coordinator job to indicate he is usually a head coach within the league.
Since 2018 when Bieniemy grew to become the offensive coordinator of the Chiefs, their offense has led the NFL — or ranked second — in a number of key statistical classes. That contains this previous season when Kansas City was first in factors and complete offense. During his 5 seasons because the Chiefs OC, Bieniemy helped quarterback Patrick Mahomes win two NFL MVPs, two Super Bowl MVPs and grow to be a two-time All-Pro.
Many of the Chiefs gamers and coaches have credited Bieniemy for serving to them win two Super Bowls over the past 4 seasons and enjoying in 5 consecutive AFC Championships. But that doesn’t seem like sufficient for NFL house owners to provide Bieniemy an opportunity to show himself as a head coach.
According to Chiefs backup QB Chad Henne, who simply retired, Bienemy confirmed the gamers a clip of the Eagles sport in opposition to the Jaguars from final October. During the highlighted play, Jaguars extensive receiver Jamal Agnew faked like he was entering into movement, however he stopped and reversed and located himself open for a landing. Kansas City twice used an analogous play throughout Super Bowl LVII in opposition to Philadelphia and scored each instances as they overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to win 38-35.
At this level, it’s clear Bieniemy will possible by no means be a head coach within the NFL and that’s an absolute shame. Clearly, the overall managers and house owners across the league don’t need to rent Black males like Bieniemy.
Owners are OK if Black males are offensive and defensive coordinators, or place coaches. But loads of them usually are not OK with a Black man being the general public face of their franchise.
If house owners had been positive with it, Bieniemy would have been employed already. Just have a look at each Steichen and Gannon as they had been every coordinators for the Eagles, the crew that simply misplaced the Super Bowl.
During every teaching cycle, individuals preserve extending the goalpost when speaking about all the pieces Bieniemy must do earlier than changing into a head coach within the NFL.
The largest excuse individuals will use when speaking about Bieniemy not changing into a head coach is that he’s not the Chiefs’ major play caller, as Chiefs coach Andy Reid calls a bulk of the performs. However, that didn’t cease NFL house owners from hiring Reid disciples prior to now.
For instance, Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy, offensive coordinators with the Chiefs earlier than Bieniemy, each acquired head teaching alternatives they usually weren’t the first play callers both. The Eagles employed Pederson in 2016 and Nagy grew to become the Bears coach in 2018. Pederson, who gained a Super Bowl with the Eagles earlier than being fired after the 2020 seson, even bought one other alternative when he grew to become the Jaguars coach final 12 months.
What do Pederson and Nagy each have in widespread? They’re each white coordinators who labored with Reid.
To add insult to damage, Joe Judge was employed because the Giants coach in 2020 after by no means calling performs. He had been the particular groups coordinator with the Patriots. After two seasons with Big Blue, Judge was fired after going 10-23 (.303).
Also, Matt Rhule, who had one 12 months of NFL expertise with the Giants in 2012 earlier than changing into the Temple and Baylor coach, acquired a seven-year, $62 million contract from the Panthers in 2020. Rhule lasted two-and-a-half seasons earlier than the Panthers fired him this 12 months following a 1-4 begin.
After Rhule was fired, defensive passing sport coordinator and secondary coach Steve Wilks took over because the interim coach and led them to a 6-6 report the remainder of the way in which. However, Carolina employed Frank Reich as a substitute of constructing Wilks the everlasting coach following the season.
Bienemy’s checkered previous has been introduced up as another excuse house owners haven’t given him keys to their franchise. As a operating again coach at Colorado in 2001, police arrested Bieniemy on a DUI cost three months after he joined the soccer employees. He beforehand had his driver’s license suspended after quite a few violations.
Bieniemy has additionally been linked to the recruiting scandal at CU the place this system was alleged to have “used alcohol and sex to lure recruits,” in response to ESPN in 2004.
Although house owners actually have their proper to be involved about Bieniemy’s previous, he wouldn’t be the primary coach to have a troubled historical past.
“I think there’s progress, and we’re pleased to see progress. But it’s never enough,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated final week about variety within the league throughout his annual state of the league press convention earlier than the Super Bowl. “We always look to sort of say, ‘How can we do better?’”
I don’t need to be the man who at all times brings up the race card concerning teaching within the NFL, however Bieniemy has been interviewed 17 instances, however he’s nonetheless ready to grow to be an NFL head coach. Could or not it’s that the majority house owners don’t need to rent a Black coach? That NFL house owners, who’re all white aside from Jacksonville Jaguars’ Shad Khan and the Buffalo Bills’ Kim Pegula, aren’t comfy hiring somebody who doesn’t appear to be them or doesn’t come from an analogous background as them?
To paraphrase the nice Jay-Z, with each step a Black man takes, society continues to have a stigma on you whenever you stroll contained in the door. So it doesn’t matter what Bieniemy has finished lately as a result of all individuals need to do is convey up what occurred in his previous.
Houston’s DeMeco Ryans was the one Black candidate to land one of many 5 openings throughout this teaching cycle and there are nonetheless solely three Black coaches within the NFL for the fifth consecutive 12 months. There are six minority coaches, together with Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, who has a Black father and identifies as biracial.
In a league the place almost 60% of gamers are Black and 70% are minorities, it’s a disgrace that Bieniemy retains getting handed over though, no less than on paper, he checks all of the containers house owners ought to need in a coach. Except for the truth that Bieniemy is a Black man.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com