The Texans will conduct a virtual interview with Eric Bieniemy on Monday, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Ordinarily, assistants in the midst of the playoffs are not allowed to interview. However, Bieniemy has been given the green light by KC and the league office.
Deshaun Watson has been pushing the Texans to consider Bieniemy for the head coaching vacancy. However, the Texans didn’t reach out to the Chiefs offensive coordinator until just last week. At this point, it’s not clear if Bieniemy is a real candidate for the job, or if owner Cal McNair is just looking to mollify his star quarterback.
Watson wanted to be involved in the GM search, but he was kept out of the loop throughout the process. He learned about Nick Caserio‘s hiring at the same time as everyone else, and he wasn’t happy about it. On the plus side, Watson doesn’t have any problems with Caserio — his beef is with McNair & Co. and their lack of communication.
Here’s the rundown of the Texans’ HC search, via PFR’s tracker:
- Eric Bieniemy, Chiefs offensive coordinator: Interview requested
- Joe Brady, Panthers offensive coordinator: Interviewed on 1/5
- David Culley, Ravens AHC/wide receivers coach: To be interviewed
- Matt Eberflus, Colts defensive coordinator: Initially declined interview request; interviewed on 1/16
- Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern head coach: Rumored candidate
- Leslie Frazier, Bills defensive coordinator: To be interviewed
- Arthur Smith, Titans offensive coordinator: Accepted Falcons HC job
- Brandon Staley, Rams defensive coordinator: Interview requested
Way to go Cal. You either have to capitulate to every demand from Watson or completely clean house, including your prodigal son Easterby. Anything less or in between just wastes the next few years of the franchise.
Worst unforced error in NFL history?
At this point, hiring EB is the only way the Texans can go. They’ve dug their hole so deep; pleasing their franchise guy should be at the top of their list. Plus, it’s not like hiring a qualified candidate is a terrible idea, either.
I doubt very seriously preacher Jack signs off on a woman beater
Holy crap this dude is trouble waiting to happen. I had no clue until your comment made me google, thank you. Is Watson unaware or what?
What it sounds like is Watson wants a player’s coach that will let him do whatever. Houston just got out of a similarly abusive relationship with James Harden.
It’s cool at least my Astros…maybe this isn’t my decade for sports?
if Watson wants him then he’s the move, especially with little competition left.
Yeh, but doesn’t it still bother that EB has been passed over so, so many times already that there is something there that we as fans just don’t know….everyone talks about his qualifications but he doesn’t even call the offense so whats his value as vaulting into a HC position?
If he fails, Watson will be one of the first demanding a trade to a “contender” …..he’s already shown that the massive extension he signed wasn’t enough….when/if EB fails….what then?
That’s the crux of my earlier comment. 100% QB appeasement will win as many titles as letting Jack Easterby run the show.
McNair has painted himself into a corner where the only viable path forward is cleaning house top to bottom and letting Caserio run the whole show. Not that I’m advocating for that but the alternatives are a QB or YL Pastor for GM…
Houston might just need to completely purge their roster in a similar manner to Miami in 2018 following the Gase catastrophe. If someone offers the kitchen sink for Watson, let him go and just completely tank for a season.
Collect as many draft picks as humanly possible by trading anything with value that won’t be part of the next regime (Watt, Cooks, Reid, etc.). That way you can tank based on a sheer lack of ability rather than effort
Deshaun for Tua and two 1sts?
I may be oversimplifying it, but just because NFL teams have passed over Bienemy, does not mean that there’s anything wrong with him. Bear in mind that a lot of the teams that are perpetually firing/hiring coaches are not typically well-run teams. These are teams that think Matt Patricia and Adam Gase are going to be good hires. So if they’re passing over Bienemy, it’s possible they just don’t know what they’re doing.
I’m sure there are plenty of successful coaches out there who got passed over in interviews before finally getting a chance.
The issues seem personal based on what I just read.
“The University of Colorado Boulder banned Bieniemy from its campus for one year as a result.
“She stated that the male who grabbed her said something about ‘a bunch of Black males all at once being her worst nightmare,” the attendant told police, according to the arrest report.”
“Bieniemy was also linked to allegations that Colorado’s football program “used alcohol and sex to lure recruits.” ESPN reported in 2004 that the university discovered there was evidence of drugs and alcohol being used to “entice recruits,” but no university officials were guilty of misconduct.”
Sounds an awful lot like he would turn the locker room into a circus. Maybe that’s why he can’t get hired.
I agree he may just not be ready to be a head coach. That being said, that coaching lineage of Andy Reid is pretty damning that his guys can have success.
Interesting comments here but I don’t think Bieniemy or any coach wants to join an organization that is only offering him a job to appease a player. If Eric is in as much demand as everyone says he would probably take an offer with a less dysfunctional franchise.
Normally I would agree, but the only openings are in Houston and Philadelphia currently. If he’s desperate for a job, he’s might consider working with Watson
Conversely, if I’m Bienemy, I might view the enormous lengths of rope they afforded Bill O’Brien and start rubbing my hands together maniacally.
I hope the Texans hire Bienemy. Then we will find out if he is actually good or simply reaping the benefit of being in Andy Reid’s shadow.
A lot of good comments from everybody here, top to bottom.
I also had no idea about Bienemy’s past transgressions or the other allegations against him. I didn’t see any evidence of woman-beating as a comment or said, but there is still a list of transgressions ranging from minor to semi-concerning. It’d be enough to ask questions about, and if Bienemy’s answer is not good (e.g. still trying to explain away the issue instead of taking responsibility like he did in the quotes accompanying those issues at the times they occurred), it would explain why he was rumored to not have interviewed well.
Now, I am not saying that that is what I believe necessarily, but it is a possibility to consider. This information, while public, has not been emphasized in coverage of his consideration process the last two years.
Pat Fitzgerald reportedly denied all interview requests. No interest in leaving Northwestern.