Chiefs’ Bieniemy to interview with four teams for head coaching job: report
The Chiefs are taking it easy this week with the first-round playoff bye, but offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is reportedly staying plenty busy with four interviews for head coaching jobs in the next three days.
According to an NFL Network report, Bieniemy will interview with the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday before interviewing with the Miami Dolphins on Thursday and Cincinnati Bengals on Friday. He has also declined a request to interview with the Arizona Cardinals, according to the report.
The Jets confirmed that Bieniemy completed an interview Wednesday afternoon. He was the Jets’ first interview to replace fired head coach Todd Bowles.
Per NFL rules, the interviews will take place in Kansas City.
Bieniemy has been Kansas City’s offensive coordinator for one season, but he has an extensive resume as an NFL running backs coach with the Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings and spent time as a college offensive coordinator at Colorado, his alma mater.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid expressed his support of Bieniemy on Monday.
“I think you guys know I’m a big fan of his,” Reid said. “I think he’ll be phenomenal.”
Former Chiefs and NFL players, including Jamaal Charles, took to Twitter on Wednesday to pump up the offensive coordinator.
Reid’s assistants have been successful making the jump to head coach. Longtime Reid disciple Matt Nagy made the move from Reid’s offensive coordinator to Chicago’s head coach in the offseason. Nagy’s had considerable success in his first season as a head coach, taking the Bears to an NFC North Division title. He followed a path set by Doug Pederson two years earlier when Pederson went from the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator to the Eagles’ head coach, winning the Super Bowl last season. The two former Reid assistants will play each other this weekend in the Wild Card round.
Should Bieniemy join Pederson and Nagy in the head coaching ranks, Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka could be next up to take over the offensive coordinator spot. Though Kafka is young — he’s 31 — he’s been impressive as Patrick Mahomes’ position coach. Prior to taking over the quarterback room this year, Kafka was an offensive quality control coach for the Chiefs in 2017 and a graduate assistant at Northwestern in 2016. He was a college quarterback at Northwestern and was drafted in the fourth round by Reid’s Eagles in 2010. He was only there for a couple seasons, but that’s where his relationship with Reid began to develop.
This story was originally published January 2, 2019 at 11:27 AM.