Washington commanders hired Eric Bieniemy away from the Kansas City chiefs.
Bieniemy’s future was the subject of speculation for several weeks, which increased after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl. He has often been a presumptive head coaching candidate, with Friday’s news putting an end to that possibility for the foreseeable future.
That speculation about the manager has also meant that media reports have, of course, blamed racism for his lack of promotion.
READ: NO, CNN, YOU DON’T KNOW RACISM HAS PREVENTED ERIC BIENIEMY FROM HEAD COACHING
While not a head coaching position, Bieniemy’s role with commanders will be quite substantial. He was just the offensive coordinator in Kansas City, but will be “Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator” in Washington
The agreement is complete and official: Washington assigns Eric Bieniemy the title of Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator. It is, in the words of one source, “a promotion in title, contract structure, multi-year and annual salary increase.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 18, 2023
Can Bieniemy Help Washington?
The job title change, salary increase and contract changes will almost certainly not be enough to stop the accusations of racism.
A far more interesting topic is what Bieniemy’s impact on the ground could be for the Commanders. He was particularly praised by Chiefs head coach Andy Reid for his work with the Chiefs offense.
The Commanders obviously don’t have a quarterback anywhere near Patrick Mahomes’ level. But with Bieniemy’s input, perhaps some of their younger options could make a splash. Or it may even be able to help identify a potential takeover target.
It can’t get much worse for the Commanders, after yet another anemic offensive performance. The Chiefs are averaging nearly 11 more points per game than Washington in 2022.
Bieniemy may not be able to make an immediate impact given the talent gap. But if he can turn Commanders into an above-average offense, that will be a remarkable achievement.
And while Assistant Head Coach isn’t quite the title he probably envisioned, it’s almost certain that the pay raise and contractual benefits aren’t exactly punishment.
