Commanders head coach Ron Rivera has encouraged his new offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, Eric Bieniemy, to set the tempo of practices. And not every player has been on board with Bieniemy’s approach.
Rivera acknowledged that some players approached him with concerns about how hard Bieniemy rides them, but Rivera told them they should just talk to Bieniemy if they have an issue.
“I had a number of guys come to me and I said, ‘Hey, just go talk to him.’ I said, ‘Understand what he’s trying to get across to you.’ I think as they go and they talk and they listen to him, it’s been enlightening for a lot of these guys,” Rivera said, via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. “I mean, it’s a whole different approach. Again, you’re getting a different kind of player from the players back in the past, especially in light of how things are coming out of college football. So a lot of these young guys, they do struggle with certain things.”
Asked what the players said when they came to Rivera, Rivera answered, “Well, um. They were just a little concerned.”
Bieniemy told reporters this morning that players will grow to learn that there are reasons for his intensity.
“Yes, I am intense,” Bieniemy said. “Eric Bieniemy is who he is. Eric Bieniemy knows how to adapt and adjust. Eric Bieniemy is a tough, hard-nosed coach. But also understand, I’m going to be their biggest and harshest critic, but I’m also their No. 1 fan because I’ve got their back and I’m going to support them at all times.”
