Eric Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs during their two Super Bowl runs, accepted the same job with the Washington Commanders on Friday (Feb. 17), and many people around NFL circles questioned why the Black coach was forced to move laterally instead of into a head coaching role like so many of his peers. However, former NFL running back LeSean McCoy thinks differently.
On an episode of “Speak” on FS1 on Monday (Feb. 20), the former Chiefs tailback admitted that he didn’t see why Washington hired Bieniemy, stating that all the offensive duties went to head coach Andy Reid.
“What’s his value? What makes him a good offensive coordinator,” McCoy said. “See, the problem is a lot of these people that go on social media, ‘He should be the guy for the job,’ they haven’t played there. I’ve been in the rooms where he’s coaching and he has nothing to do with the pass game at all. When the plays are designed, that’s Andy Reid.”
I wish him WELL but Washington don’t let the chiefs SUCCESS or coaching titles fool y’all… the traits or skills you need to be a good coordinator I haven’t seen or WITNESSED it … pic.twitter.com/Qtaes1irnx
— LeSean Shady Mccoy (@CutonDime25) February 21, 2023
McCoy, a two-time Super Bowl champion including for the Chiefs and Bieniemy in 2019, said his former offensive coordinator would shout profanities during practice, including at star tight end Travis Kelce, and couldn’t adapt to the players. Bieniemy also did not call plays for the Chiefs.
Kansas City won the Super Bowl last season, leading the league with over 413 yards and 29 points a game under Bieniemy. They also averaged a league-best 297 pass yards per game, but once again McCoy gives the credit for these to Reid.
“When you talk about offensive coordinators, I can tell you what makes Brian Daboll with the Giants a very good coordinator. I can tell you about Andy Reid or Doug Pederson. But Eric Bieniemy, what makes him good?” McCoy said. “When we watch the film of practices and we correct the wide receivers, the running backs, the quarterbacks, he doesn’t talk in there. Andy Reid talks in there.”
https://twitter.com/Commanders/status/1626974926874767360?s=20
With the Chiefs consistently near the top of the offensive rankings, the discussion was reignited around why the team’s five-year coordinator wasn’t a head coach yet. According to USA TODAY Sports research, which tracked interviews using team announcements and news media reports, Bieniemy did interviews for 14 different teams from 2019-2022 and only eight teams that hired a head coach during that span did not interview him. Still, he has yet to be hired.
Despite his scrutiny, McCoy wants it to be known that he’s still wishing the best for Bieniemy.
“I’m rooting for him because he’s a Black coach and I love to see Black coaches win. Also, he’s a running backs coach, and running backs coaches never get a chance to be offensive coordinator,” McCoy said. “So I want him to do well, but if I have to do my job and be honest? My thing is, where is the true value at?”
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