UCLA Football: Eric Bieniemy Comments on 'Freedom' Ethan Garbers Has Now

Bruins offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy weighs in on how 2024 will be a stand out year for UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers.

Dec 16, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) reacts after defeating the Boise State Broncos in the Starco Brands LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 season marks a massive shift for UCLA football. Not only will the Bruins enter the competitive Big Ten Conference, but they will also be operating with a single quarterback at the helm.

After rotating through three different QBs throughout 2023, Ethan Garbers was named as the official starting QB of 2024. This is particularly exciting, given his stellar performance in the LA Bowl against Boise State.

Another major change in offense is the new associate head coach/offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. A two-time Super Bowl-winning OC for the Kansas City Chiefs, Bieniemy is expected to bring that success to UCLA as they enter the Big Ten.

In an interview with Bruin Report Online, Bieniemy commented on the freedom Garbers will have in UCLA's new offense.

"One thing that you learn when you're in this position, yes, you don't want to handcuff those guys," Bieniemy told David Woods. "You want to give them freedom, if you feel like they can handle it. But with that comes a great deal of responsibility. But my job is to make sure, all right not just me, but our entire coaching staff, that we're giving our guys answers."

"I don't want to handcuff us, OK? So, Ethan right now, he seems to be at a stage where he can handle that. And we'll give 'em the keys, you know, every now and then we may take 'em away. But, at the end of the day, he's doing a good job right now of handling that and we just got to continue to grow with him because, when it's all said and done with, if he can handle it, now it just helps us even more to become better offensively."

Bieniemy then revealed that he had the utmost confidence in Garbers performing at the Big Ten level but didn't want to pressure him too much right away.

"Well, right now we're in the early stages. I know we're in the honeymoon phase because everybody wants to know what we're doing. We're undefeated, we're 0-0, you know what I mean? So, we've got an outstanding record right now," Bieniemy said jokingly.

"But, you know, my expectations of him right now is just to manage the day. OK? I don't want to look past anything because I don't want to take anything for granted. Because there's a lot to learn on a day-to-day basis that can help us to grow and prepare us, all right, for those game-defining moments that's gonna present themselves throughout the season."

This season marks a significant change for UCLA football as they move toward the Big Ten. If they truly want to succeed, Garbers and Bieniemy are going to have to be of one mind to ensure the offense attack continues to operate at a high level.

Garbers brought in 1,136 yards, 11 touchdowns, and three interceptions in 2023. He will need to increase his big play output to keep pace with the competition in the Big Ten, but it sounds like Bieniemy is allowing Garbers to grow into a good spot with more freedom.

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