Eric Bieniemy’s name came up a lot in head coaching searches over the last few years, but the Commanders offensive coordinator has not been making the rounds on the interview circuit this month.
Bieniemy has had one interview, however. PFT has learned, via a league source, that the Commanders have interviewed Bieniemy for the vacancy they created when they fired Ron Rivera a day after the end of the regular season.
Bieniemy is believed to be a viable candidate for the Commanders job and his interview was not simply a courtesy because he was a member of Rivera’s final staff. The Commanders began their head coaching interviews after hiring General Manager Adam Peters this week and Bieniemy’s interview does not have any bearing on compliance with the Rooney Rule because he is an internal candidate.
The 2023 season was Bieniemy’s first in Washington after five seasons as the Chiefs offensive coordinator. Bieniemy didn’t call the offensive plays while in Kansas City and it was thought that taking on that responsibility with the Commanders would boost his chances of landing a head coaching job. The Commanders season did not go well, however, and Bieniemy didn’t get the kind of bump that many expected him to get.
Bieniemy did land an interview with his current team, though, and we’ll see if that results in a move up the ladder in Washington.
