Ex Chiefs Coach Fired Before Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Colin Miller | Last updated Dec 5, 2024 6:53 PM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs will look to hold on to the No. 1 seed in the AFC when they host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football.

At 11-1, Kansas City's goal of becoming the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls is attainable. Now, it seems they could even bring back a coach who was with them to begin the win streak.

Eric Bieniemy, who was the Chiefs' offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2022 when they won two Super Bowls, was officially fired from the offensive coordinator position at UCLA on Thursday.

After many wondered why Bieniemy never earned a head coaching role in the NFL throughout the Chiefs' dominant offensive run in the late 2010s, he is now in search of his third team in three years.

Bieniemy spent his most recent NFL stint with the Washington Commanders in 2023 when the team went 4-13 and was ranked 21st in yards per game. Bieniemy was then not brought back when Dan Quinn was hired as Washington's new head coach.

Although it's unclear how impactful Bieniemy truly was with Kansas City considering his recent shortcomings and the Chiefs' continued success with Matt Nagy, his familiarity with the team could lead to him being brought back with a smaller role, especially with the playoffs quickly approaching.

Bieniemy already has an established relationship with both Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes and was involved with the team during their most efficient offensive seasons, so it wouldn't be too far-fetched for him to rejoin the team.