Eric Bieniemy won’t be leaving Kansas City. This week, the Chiefs offensive coordinator withdrew his name from consideration, as Mike Klis of 9News tweets. 

Bieniemy did not formally interview for the job, but the Buffs pursued him hard nonetheless. Klis’ understanding is that Bieniemy was Colorado’s first choice for the job and they kept in contact with him throughout, even while he was on vacation.

Bieniemy has interviewed for a number of NFL head coaching jobs in recent cycles but has yet to come away with any. Colorado presented him with an opportunity to finally run his own show – and return to his alma mater – but he ultimately felt that the Chiefs job was too good to give up. Besides, with another year of electric offense in Kansas City, it feels inevitable that Bieniemy will finally get his big break. Had Bieniemy signed up at Colorado, he likely would have been tied to the school for multiple seasons with a significant buyout for any NFL team hiring him.

Bieniemy has been a Chiefs assistant for the last seven years. This offseason, he interviewed with the Browns, Giants, and Panthers about their head coaching vacancies. Last year, he chatted with the Bucs and Dolphins.

Prior to latching on with Andy Reid when the longtime Eagles coach relocated to Kansas City, Eric Bieniemy was the University of Colorado’s offensive coordinator. And the Colorado alum is squarely on the Buffaloes’ radar for their recently available head coaching gig.

Colorado has made multiple overtures to the Chiefs’ OC about the job Mel Tucker recently vacated when he left after one season to take the Michigan State HC job. However, the Bieniemy-to-Boulder rumors are not expected to produce a move.

The Pac-12 program’s interest in the seven-year Chiefs assistant has not generated much in the way of traction, with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com indicating Bieniemy is content where he is — largely because of what will likely come his way in 2021 (video link). Bieniemy is likely on the verge of receiving a chance to be a head coach in 2021, after taking three interviews this offseason. And the Super Bowl ring he is set to receive may well cement yet another Reid OC earning a top NFL job. He spoke about his dream to be an NFL head coach before Super Bowl LIV.

Bieniemy met with the Browns, Giants and Panthers about their vacancies this offseason and interviewed for the Buccaneers’ and Dolphins’ jobs in 2019. Although things change fast in the NFL, Reid’s right-hand man during Patrick Mahomes‘ ascent figures to have a good chance of being one of the NFL’s 32 HCs come 2021. The 2020 season will be Bieniemy’s third as Chiefs OC.

Colorado also has Giants outside linebackers coach Bret Bielema on its radar; the ex-Wisconsin and Arkansas HC will interview for the post. As of now, it does not sound like Bieniemy will take a meeting with his alma mater. The ex-NFL running back played at Colorado from 1987-90 and was part of the Buffs’ 1990 national championship team. Bieniemy, 50, broke into coaching as Colorado’s running backs coach from 2001-02.

The University of Colorado is seeking a new head coach, and they’re eyeing an alumni to fill the spot. Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports (via Twitter) that the school has reached out to Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy about the vacancy. Earlier today, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweeted that the school was expected to reach out to Bieniemy, even though it was unlikely he’d leave his current gig.

Bieniemy was a standout player during his time at Colorado, earning a consensus All-American nod while also being named a Heisman Trophy finalist. The 1991 second-round pick ended up sticking around the NFL for nine years as a player, serving mostly as a pass-catching backup running back.

Following his playing career, Bieniemy returned to Colorado as their running backs coach. He lated moved on to UCLA before taking the leap to the NFL coaching ranks with the Vikings. In 2011, he joined Colorado again to be their offensive coordinator, and he later joined Andy Reid‘s staff in Kansas City as their RBs coach.

He was promoted to Chiefs OC in 2018 after Matt Nagy took the head coaching job with the Bears. Thanks in part to the promotion (and, obviously, the emergence of Patrick Mahomes), the Chiefs have evolved into one of the top offenses in the entire league.

This year, Eric Bieniemy was in demand on the head coaching circuit once again. And, once again, Bieniemy did not emerge with a head coaching job. Still, the Chiefs offensive coordinator remains determined to eventually run his own ship. 

“I mean, that’s everybody’s dream to be one of the 32 head coaches. That’s everybody’s dream,” Bieniemy said (via ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher). “Someday, possibly, it may happen. But right now, the only thing that matters is making sure our guys, our players and our coaching staff is focused on the goal — and that’s making sure we play to the end of that final echo of the whistle come Sunday.”

Bieniemy drew interest from the Browns, Giants, and Panthers this offseason. Last year, he met with the Buccaneers, Bengals, and Dolphins (and turned down an interview with the Cardinals). The offensive guru has been in the running for at least six HC jobs in the last two cycles, but came away with none.

Given that Ron Rivera was the only minority candidate to land a head coaching job in this cycle, many have called for a revamp to the league’s Rooney Rule. For his part, Bieniemy says he’s keeping the focus on himself and his Super Bowl-bound squad.

“Every coach may have a different gripe about whatever comes up in their own organization,” Bieniemy said when asked whether minority assistant coaches were being treated unfairly on the whole. “But we all have an opportunity to do what we do…I love my job. I have no complaints in what I do and how I do it. I know one thing: When it’s all said and done with, we get to line up and play football. And that’s what I’m going to do. I’m a football coach.”