Former Commanders coach joining Bears in return to NFL after year in College Football

Former Washington Commanders' coach Eric Bieniemy is back in the NFL.

Jan 7, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy on the field before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images / Brad Mills-Imagn Images

In early 2024 there was a lot of excitement around the Washington Commanders, yet some refused to embrace it until they could see real results on the field.

That approach came from living through years of disappointment, including the 2023 Commanders' season that started with high hopes and ended with a thud that had become commonplace in these parts when it came to NFL expectations.

One of those that outsiders walked away most disappointed about was offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Eric Bieniemy, who was fired along with much of the staff when Washington made the decision to pivot the franchise in a new direction.

Jan 7, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy on the field before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images / Brad Mills-Imagn Images

After spending a year with UCLA, Bieniemy is now headed back to the NFL to be coach Ben Johnson's running backs coach with the Chicago Bears. That, according to CBS' Jonathan Jones.

"An NFL return: Eric Bieniemy has agreed to terms with the Chicago Bears to be their running backs coach," Jones reported on Saturday evening. "A 2-time Super Bowl champ with the Chiefs, Bieniemy gives Ben Johnson's offensive staff a veteran, championship presence."

That presence is what many expected Bieniemy to bring with him to the Commanders' organization as well, and he certainly brought one–though it clearly was not championship-caliber.

In fact, Bieniemy's approach more than ruffled feathers despite players claiming they made an honest effort to embrace the coach's well-known harsh demeanor. The results of that strain were detailed in an article published by The Washington Post after he was fired by then-new head coach Dan Quinn.

After spending the 2023 season with the Bruins' college program, it was reported that Bieniemy had been fired again, twice in as many years, but the coach's agent quickly issued a public statement claiming the separation was mutual and planned. Interestingly enough, the buyout of Bieniemy's contract cost the program north of $1 million, something odd for any institution to agree to ahead of time if it knew the coach wouldn't be around after the season.

Regardless, Bieniemy is now back in the NFL, and for all of his perceived flaws as a coach, he was always a standup person in front of and behind the cameras. So we wish him well in his new endeavors, at least until the Bears visit Washington during the 2025 NFL season.

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