With eight NFL teams looking for a new head coach, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is once again being talked about as a prime candidate for a promotion. The sportsbooks are in agreement with that narrative.
The Minnesota Vikings, who fired Mike Zimmer on Monday, January 10, are one of the teams looking for a new head coach. The next head coach in Minnesota should be an offensive-minded one, as the Vikings offense ranked only 14th in the league in points per game this season (25.0), per ESPN, despite having one of the best running backs in the NFL in Dalvin Cook, two of the best wide receivers in Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, and a talented quarterback in Kirk Cousins.
That’s why Bieniemy is the favorite to land the Vikings’ head coach job, according to BetOnline.
Favorites for Next Head Coach Markets
Bears
Brian Flores +300
Dolphins
Brian Daboll +200
Giants
Doug Pederson +400
Jaguars
Byron Leftwich +190
Vikings
Eric Bieniemy +300
Full lists/odds here> t.co/MsZ4kggxFj
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Bieniemy Focused on Playoffs, Not Potential Promotion
Despite being part of head coaching chatter, Bieniemy is only focused on one thing: the playoffs.
“It’s always good to be mentioned. The thing about it, you don’t allow it to become a distraction because, first and foremost, I have a job. Second of all, we’ve got a big game this up and coming weekend and that’s the most important thing, to take care of the business at hand and to focus on the now. All of that stuff is going to take care of itself,” Bieniemy said of the potential distraction of head coaching interviews during his press conference on Thursday, January 13.
“And do not get me wrong, I am blessed and I am fortunate to be a part of that chatter, to be a part of some of the things that are taking place, but right now my focus is to make sure that we’re ready to play a 60-minute consecutive game where we can go out there and play hard and play fast, but more importantly play for each other.”
Bieniemy on Andy Reid: ‘He’s a Father Figure’
Bieniemy, who has been with the Chiefs since 2013, credits Kansas City head coach Andy Reid for grooming him, along with other coaches, for potentially larger roles within and outside the organization.
“[Andy Reid] does a great job. First of all, he’s a father figure. He’s a head coach, he’s been around for a number of years, and he’s very, very consistent in what he does. He does a great job of delegating and making sure that everybody knows exactly what their roles are,” Bieniemy explained. “But on top of that, he allows you to be yourself. He wants you to be the expert at what you do. So, when you have a coach that’s not always just saying, ‘You have to do this,’ or, ‘You have to do that,’ it makes it special because guys can come to work feeling comfortable in their own skin and going out there and perform up to their best capabilities.
“Then, another thing is there are no egos. We all work together. I think that’s the unique part that makes our coaching staff a very, very strong place because we all work together, we all get along, and if my idea is not good enough, it’s OK,” Bieniemy continued. “If the coach’s idea is not good enough, that’s OK. Because at the end of the day, the only thing that we want to do is to do what is best for our team. That’s the thing that makes it special working under Coach Reid and just the culture that he’s built here.”
Bieniemy is long overdue for a head coaching role. With lots of head coaching vacancies this year, 2022 might finally be his time.
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Chiefs’ Eric Bieniemy Favorite to Land Intriguing NFC Head Coaching Job