WASHINGTON — The coordinators for the Super Bowl runner-up Philadelphia Eagles both landed first-time head coaching gigs 48 hours after their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
DC Jonathan Gannon replaced Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona on Tuesday and OC Shane Steichen was hired in Indianapolis, succeeding interim head coach Jeff Saturday.
Left out again was Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who has now been interviewed 16 times by 15 teams over the last five hiring cycles.
Bieniemy won his second ring with Andy Reid on Sunday when Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 38-35 come-from-behind victory over the Eagles in Super Bowl 57.
Coming straight from the Chiefs victory parade, Bieniemy is expected to interview for the Commanders offensive coordinator job on Thursday. Sources tell WUSA9's Sports Director Darren Haynes that Bieniemy and head coach Ron Rivera had dinner on Wednesday.
So why would Bieniemy, who just won his second Super Bowl in five years, leave Kansas City for the same position in Washington? Bieniemy has addressed concerns that racism was holding him back.
Some say the reason Bieniemy hasn't gotten a head coaching job is because Reid calls the offensive plays, not Bieniemy. But Matt Nagy and Doug Pederson were both OCs under Reid and didn't call offensive plays and they both got head coaching jobs.
Reid has long hoped for Bieniemy to get his shot as a head coach, saying recently, "Eric Bieniemy has been tremendous for us and I think tremendous for the National Football League. I’m hoping he has an opportunity to go somewhere and do his thing where he can run the show and be Eric Bieniemy.”
If Bieniemy can come to D.C., manage the offense and have success, he will have a résumé no NFL team can refuse.
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