Dizon’s Disposition: Bieniemy returns to collegiate ranks with something left to prove

(Illustration by Matthew Park / Daily Bruin, Photo by Nicolas Greamo/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Kai Dizon
Sept. 20, 2024 8:46 p.m.
DeShaun Foster’s first order of business as head coach was bringing in Eric Bieniemy – the two-time Super Bowl champion often touted as the mastermind behind Patrick Mahomes.
Named the Bruins’ associate head coach and offensive coordinator, Bieniemy’s addition to the staff helped cement a new era of UCLA football – and the opportunity to position it at an echelon with Westwood’s storied programs.
But when UCLA’s offense was shut out in the first half against Hawai’i on Aug. 31, the Bruin faithful began to question just how Bieniemy’s NFL systems and background would translate to the Bruins – a tune eerilysimilar to the one sung about former coach Chip Kelly.
However, the two offense-inclined coaches differ by more than their respective schemes. Bieniemy will succeed in Westwood for reasons Kelly couldn’t.
Before the sub-.500 campaigns, numerous late-season collapses and airplane banners flying over Westwood calling for his firing, Kelly was hired as the Bruins’ head coach and offensive play-caller in November 2017 – to much admiration and surprise across the football world.
While Kelly’s stints in the NFL were often less than glamorous – going 2-14 with the San Fransisco 49ers for his last year in the league – he maintained a legacy as the offensive mastermind for his time as Oregon’s head honcho, going 46-7 with a BCS championship appearance and wins in both the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl.
Of course, that was only to sputter in his first few seasons as a Bruin – going 7-17 through his first two campaigns in Pasadena.
Bieniemy can’t afford a similarly slow start, having signed just a two-year contract in February. And he won’t.
Though his one-and-done season with the Washington Commanders – where the team went 4-13 – may seem reminiscent of Kelly’s own NFL exit, Bieniemy’s return to the collegiate ranks meant different things.
While it’s reasonable to assume that the coach doesn’t intend to stay away from the NFL in the long term, a return to college football is a challenge Bieniemy’s been searching – it’s a place he’s yet to find success in as a coach.
During Bieniemy’s only stint as an NCAA offensive coordinator – at Colorado in 2011 and 2012 – the Buffaloes went a combined 4-21 and ranked second-worst and worst, respectively, in offensive yards per game among Pac-12 teams.
Bieniemy has a lot left to prove on the gridiron – especially as fans continue to wonder if it’s Mahomes who made Bieniemy and not the other way around.
If Bieniemy’s career goals entail a collegiate or NFL head coaching gig, then helping tobuild the Bruins’ program is the ideal way to prove his ability and mettle.
He’s proven his capability to produce when talent is at his disposal. But at the collegiate level, he won’t need Hall of Famers to be ahead of the competition. Add in Foster’s early emphasis on recruiting, and Bieniemy is sure to have his personnel together by year two.
On the other hand, Kelly’s return to the college game – and his own self-imposed demotion to offensive coordinator for Ohio State – read more like someone trying to stick within their comfort zone. Kelly wasn’t coming to Westwood with a chip on his shoulder – he knows he’s already proven himself.
Bieniemy served as the Bruins’ running backs coach from 2003 to 2005, and was named recruiting coordinator in his final year – displaying the coach’s familiarity with the Bruins and his knowledge of UCLA’s long-term recruiting shortcomings. Coupled with Bieniemy’s childhood ties to Los Angeles, there’s plenty of reason to believe the coach’s commitment to the Bruins is genuine.
In contrast, there was always a sneaking suspicion that Kelly didn’t enjoy the job in Westwood – that he was phoning it in. From a lack of name, image and likeness investment to recruiting struggles to shortcomings on the field, Kelly left plenty for fans to question. But the coach’s jump to the Buckeyes seemed to answer all of them – the Bruins just weren’t a priority.
If Bieniemy’s career goal is securing a head coaching gig in the NFL, then proving himself at UCLA should be all the more important to him, and thereby beneficial to the Bruins.
While a fanbase could easily sour over Bieniemy’s tough-love approach, the Bruins seem to embrace their offensive guru’s approaches with confidence. Bieniemy continuously preaches the importance of building relationships with his players – a quality of “coach EB” that redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers routinely attests to.
Despite the supposed complexity of an NFL-caliber West Coast offense, players have promptly welcomed the challenge and leveraged it as an opportunity to prepare for professional football. Wide receivers redshirt junior J.Michael Sturdivant and redshirt senior Logan Loya have both expressed early satisfaction and excitement with the new scheme.
West Coast systems – like Bieniemy’s – are often criticized for being too wordy and complicated for players to thrive under. Conversely, Kelly’s up-tempo spread scheme was all about his players thinking as little as possible. But a more player-involved system could do the Bruins wonders.
To all appearances, the Bruins haven’t found issue with Bieniemy’s coaching style in the same way some Commanders reportedly did a year ago, criticizing the coach’s intensity.
At this point in his career, Bieniemy’s philosophies are just better suited for the college game. Younger athletes likely take better to Bieniemy’s accomplishments and work with Mahomes – who they see as an idol – compared to the professionalathletes actively trying to compete with the quarterback, a three-time Super Bowl champion.
By the end of Bieniemy’s tenure in Westwood, the only thing left to prove will be results. And in his introductory press conference, Foster defined “results” as packing the Rose Bowl and, most importantly, winning games.
With a rookie head coach and an inaugural Big Ten season, media attention on the Bruins is at a high.
But Bieniemy has been under the brightest of lights before. And under those lights, he’s succeeded.