Eric Bieniemy facts for kids
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Bieniemy with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021
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| Personal information | |||||||||
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| Born: | August 15, 1969 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Bishop Amat (La Puente, California) | ||||||||
| College: | Colorado (1987–1990) | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1991 / Round: 2 / Pick: 39 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
| Coaching stats at PFR | |||||||||
Eric Bieniemy Jr. (pronounced bee-EN-uh-me; born August 15, 1969) is a well-known American football coach. He used to play as a running back (a player who carries the ball) and was most recently a top coach for the UCLA Bruins.
Bieniemy played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes. He holds the record for most rushing yards (3,940) and touchdowns (42) in their history. In 1990, he was named a unanimous All-American (meaning he was recognized as one of the best players in the country by all major selectors). He also finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, an award for the most outstanding college football player, during Colorado's national championship season.
After college, Bieniemy was picked by the San Diego Chargers in the 1991 NFL draft. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles. He then returned to college to finish his degree. Later, he became a coach, helping players like Maurice Jones-Drew and Adrian Peterson improve their skills.
Bieniemy became the offensive coordinator (the coach in charge of the team's offense) for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018. Under his coaching, the Chiefs won two Super Bowl championships: Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LVII. He also coached for the Washington Commanders and the UCLA Bruins.
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Early Life and High School Football
Eric Bieniemy was born on August 15, 1969, in New Orleans, Louisiana. When he was 10, his family moved to Hollywood, California. The next year, they settled in West Covina, California.
He went to Bishop Amat Memorial High School in La Puente, California. There, he was a star in both football and track and field. In his senior year of 1986, he was named a second-team All-America football player. He ran for an amazing 2,002 yards and scored 30 touchdowns that season.
College Football Career
In 1987, Bieniemy decided to go to the University of Colorado Boulder. He chose Colorado over other big schools because he wanted to experience something new, like living in a smaller city and seeing snow for the first time.
He quickly became a starter for the Colorado Buffaloes. In his second year, 1988, he was named to the 1988 All-Big Eight Conference football team. He rushed for 1,243 yards and 10 touchdowns that season.
In 1990, during his senior year, he played in a famous game against Missouri. In this game, two of his runs were mistakenly counted as the same down by the referees. By the end of the 1990 season, he was named the Big Eight Conference's Offensive Player of the Year. He also finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. That year, he rushed for 1,628 yards and 17 touchdowns, helping his team win a national championship.
Bieniemy holds several records for the Colorado Buffaloes. He is their all-time leader in rushing yards (3,940), rushing touchdowns (42), and all-purpose yards (4,351). In 2010, he was honored by being inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.
College Statistics
Here's a look at Eric Bieniemy's performance during his college years:
| Season | GP | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||
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| Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 1987 | 11 | 104 | 508 | 4.9 | 5 | 10 | 186 | 18.6 | 1 |
| 1988 | 10 | 219 | 1,243 | 5.7 | 10 | 2 | 20 | 10 | 0 |
| 1989 | 8 | 88 | 561 | 6.4 | 9 | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 |
| 1990 | 11 | 288 | 1,628 | 5.7 | 17 | 13 | 159 | 12.2 | 0 |
| Career | 40 | 699 | 3,940 | 5.6 | 41 | 27 | 380 | 14.1 | 1 |
Professional Playing Career
The San Diego Chargers chose Eric Bieniemy in the second round of the 1991 NFL draft. This meant he was the 39th player picked overall that year.
In 1994, he played in Super Bowl XXIX with the Chargers. He had a 33-yard reception in that game, which was the longest catch for his team. After playing for the Chargers, Bieniemy joined the Cincinnati Bengals from 1995 to 1998. He then played one season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999 before he stopped playing professionally.
He finished his NFL playing career with 1,589 rushing yards. He also had 1,223 receiving yards and 1,621 yards from kickoff returns. In total, he scored 12 touchdowns.
Coaching Career Highlights
Eric Bieniemy's coaching journey began in high school. He was an assistant coach at Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver in 2000.
Early College Coaching Roles
In 2001, Bieniemy went back to the University of Colorado to finish his degree in sociology. While there, he became the running backs coach for the Buffaloes from 2001 to 2002.
He then moved to UCLA, where he coached running backs from 2003 to 2005. In 2005, he also took on the role of recruiting coordinator, helping to bring new talent to the team.
Coaching in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings
After his time at UCLA, Bieniemy joined the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL in 2006. He was their running backs coach. During his time with the Vikings, he helped Adrian Peterson become one of the best running backs in the league. Peterson led the NFC in rushing yards in 2007 and the entire NFL in 2008. In 2010, Bieniemy was promoted to assistant head coach for the Vikings.
Return to Colorado as Offensive Coordinator
On December 2, 2010, Bieniemy returned to his old college team, the Colorado Buffaloes. This time, he became their offensive coordinator under head coach Jon Embree. He was even offered the head coach position at Colorado in 2020, but he decided to decline it.
Success with the Kansas City Chiefs
In 2013, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid hired Bieniemy as the running backs coach. Bieniemy helped develop star players like Jamaal Charles and Kareem Hunt. Hunt even led the NFL in rushing yards as a rookie in 2017.
In 2018, Andy Reid promoted Bieniemy to offensive coordinator. In his first year in this role, the Chiefs had the best offense in the NFL. They scored the third-most points in NFL history that season. Their quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, had an amazing year, throwing for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns. The Chiefs made it to the 2018 AFC Championship Game but lost to the New England Patriots.
Bieniemy's hard work paid off. In 2019, he won his first Super Bowl when the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31–20 in Super Bowl LIV. He won his second Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 2022, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35 in Super Bowl LVII.
Washington Commanders and Second Stint at UCLA
After his successful time with the Chiefs, Bieniemy signed a two-year contract with the Washington Commanders in 2023. He became their assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. He was given full control over calling plays, which was a new experience for him. The Commanders finished the season with a 4–13 record, and Bieniemy was not kept on by the new head coach.
In February 2024, Bieniemy returned to UCLA as the associate head coach and offensive coordinator. However, he was dismissed on December 5, 2024, after UCLA finished their season with a 5–7 record.
Personal Life
Eric Bieniemy is married and has two sons. His nephew, Jamal, played basketball for the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas El Paso. Eric Bieniemy is also a member of Omega Psi Phi, a fraternity.
