Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is baffled that Chiefs’ Eric Bieniemy isn’t a head coach
Add Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s name to the list of people baffled that Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is still unable to get an NFL head-coaching job.
Seven NFL teams had openings for a head coach this offseason and Bieniemy interviewed with six of the clubs. Nevertheless, each franchise picked someone else to lead their team.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes can’t understand why Bieniemy hasn’t been hired as a head coach. Chiefs coach Andy Reid was really hoping Bieniemy would finally get his shot. Super Bowl XXII MVP Doug Williams also expressed his surprise that Bieniemy is still waiting.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin spoke with Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the lack of Black head coaches, and Tomlin specifically mentioned Bieniemy.
“Bieniemy is a real head-scratcher for me,” Tomlin told Cook. “Every offensive coordinator Andy Reid has had in the last 20 years got a head job. One of those guys, Brad Childress, hired me in Minnesota in 2006. Now, Andy has the best offense he’s ever had and (Bieniemy) can’t get a job?”
Tomlin was interviewed by the Post-Gazette following his appearance on HBO’s “Real Sports.”
TribLive.com said “Real Sports” host Bryant Gumbel noted that when Tomlin was hired by the Steelers in 2007, he was one of three Black coaches in the NFL and the league still has three minority coaches today.
“I don’t think any of us expected us (in 2021) to be sitting at three,” Tomlin said, per TribLive. “It is a global collective failure from my perspective. The bottom line is where we are is unacceptable.”
Tomlin was asked by the Post-Gazette about the recent hiring of Black general managers by the Lions (Brad Holmes), Washington (Martin Mayhew) and Falcons (Terry Fontenot). There are now five Black general managers, as they join the Browns’ Andrew Berry and Dolphins’ Chris Grier.
“GM is a nice title, but I’m not sure it means the same thing with every team,” Tomlin told Cook. “You’re talking about 32 different companies. There’s no latitude with a head coach. Everyone knows what our job is.”
