UCLA football is moving on from associate head coach and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. 

Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger initially reported the news – which was later confirmed by On3 – marking the end of Bieniemy’s tenure just nine months into his two-year deal. Through his inaugural year in Westwood, the Bruins finished 5-7 on the season and 3-6 in Big Ten play. 

While UCLA has yet to release an official statement, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero shared a statement from Bieniemy’s agent Jason Fletcher, indicating that the decision was a mutual parting of ways. 

“Eric and UCLA mutually parted ways today as previously planned,” Fletcher said in the statement. “He’s still getting paid by the (Washington) Commanders. After interviewing for head coaching jobs last year, he wanted to stay active and busy. So, he decided to go help out DeShaun Foster, who is like his little brother, at UCLA as opposed to sitting out a year. The plan was always to return to the NFL in 2025, and he’s looking forward to the opportunities ahead.”

Contrary to what Fletcher’s statement suggests, though, Bieniemy signed a two-year agreement that included financial incentives, such as a $550,000 retention bonus if he stayed till July and a $180,000 hiring bonus scheduled for the coming weekend, according to the Los Angeles Times. Additionally, Bieniemy had been actively recruiting for UCLA, suggesting a level of commitment not typically associated with a planned short-term role. He’s yet to announce his next destination, which would purportedly be in the NFL ranks.

Bieniemy’s departure will cost UCLA $1.2 million, as stipulated by his contract buyout clause. Offensive line coach Juan Castillo, who came to UCLA with Bieniemy, is also not expected to return to Westwood. 

Castillo worked under Bieniemy as the tight ends coach and run game coordinator for the Commanders in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The Bruins’ offensive line was under heavy scrutiny through the season, ranking 109th nationally with 2.83 sacks allowed per game. UCLA’s run game mustered just 3.1 yards per carry as the offensive line also grappled with numerous injuries throughout the year.

Prior to joining coach DeShaun Foster’s coaching staff, Bieniemy called offensive plays for the Commanders for a season when the team went 4-13, resulting in the entire coaching staff  being dismissed. But expectations for Bieniemy were lofty in Westwood, given his previous success with the Kansas City Chiefs – during which he was hailed as the offensive mastermind behind NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes in his nine-year tenure serving two different posts.

However, UCLA’s offense struggled under his leadership, finishing the season ranked 117th nationally in total offense. 

Under Bieniemy, the Bruins fell short of bowl eligibility for the first time since 2020. Criticism of the former offensive coordinator’s play-calling and offensive schemes grew louder as the season progressed, with UCLA failing to string together more than 20 points in eight of its 12 outings. 

Bieniemy’s offense averaged just 18.4 points per game – 126th in the nation and a steep decline from the previous season’s 26.5-point average under former head coach Chip Kelly’s play-calling. UCLA’s 5.4 yards per play ranked 94th nationally. 

With Bieniemy’s departure, CBS Sports is reporting that Foster and UCLA could be targeting Indiana co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri to replace Bieniemy. Sunseri’s Hoosiers won more than 10 games for the first time in school history this year and earned a No. 10 seed in the College Football Playoff after a 66-0 statement victory over rival school Purdue. 

Sunseri has been critical in Indiana’s breakout 11-1 season, where its 43.4 points per game ranked 2nd nationally. He’s also been touted as the guru behind Kurtis Rourke’s development, the first-string quarterback who was named a member of the All-Big Ten Second Team on Tuesday.