LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Commanders today announced Eric Bieniemy as the team's assistant head coach/offensive coordinator.
Bieniemy enters his 25th NFL season and first with Washington after serving as the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator the past five seasons. Prior to being named the offensive coordinator, Bieniemy served as the Chiefs running backs coach from 2013-17.
In 2022, Bieniemy helped lead the Chiefs and their offense to their second Super Bowl championship in four seasons and helped quarterback Patrick Mahomes earn his second MVP in five seasons. The Chiefs led the NFL in total yards per game (413.6), passing yards (5,062), scrimmage touchdowns (59) and total points per game (29.2).
In 2021, Bieniemy continued to lead the Kansas City Chiefs offense to finish in the top five in multiple NFL categories including, third down conversion percentage (1st, 52.2), fourth down conversion percentage (T-1st, 66.7), first downs (1st, 419), yards per game (3rd, 396.8), yards after catch (1st; 2,494), offensive touchdowns (5th, 53) and points per game (4th, 28.2) en route to the team's sixth-straight AFC West title. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes continued to add to his NFL resume, adding 4,839 passing yards on 436 completions and 37 touchdowns. Mahomes has 31 career games with 300+ passing yards, which is the most such games by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history.
In 2020, the Chiefs offense led the NFL in multiple categories including, net passing yards per game (303.4), yards per game (415.8), first downs (397), yards after catch (2,254) and plays of at least 20 yards (79) en route to the club's fifth-straight AFC West title and second-straight Super Bowl appearance.
In 2019, the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs offense finished in the top 10 in total yards per game (379.2), pass yards per game (281.1), yards per play (6.22) and total points scored (28.2). Mahomes became the fastest QB in NFL history to reach 9,000 passing yards and 75 touchdowns, doing so in only 30 games.
In his first year as offensive coordinator, Bieniemy oversaw one of the most prolific offenses in Chiefs history as the club finished 12-4, earned its third-consecutive AFC West Championship and a No. 1 seed in the playoffs en route to hosting the first AFC Championship Game in team history. Mahomes was named the NFL MVP as he passed for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns in his first season as a starting quarterback. Tight end Travis Kelce ranked second among NFL tight ends with 1,336 receiving yards, and WR Tyreek Hill's 1,479 single season receiving yards ranked first in Chiefs history.
In 2017, the Chiefs had a 1,000-yard rusher, with the group logging a combined 1,903 yards on the season. From 2013-15, Bieniemy mentored running back Jamaal Charles. In 2014, Charles recorded 1,000 yards for the fifth time in his career. Charles became the all-time leading rusher in franchise history and finished his Chiefs career with 7,260 career rushing yards. His 5.5 yards per carry average is also the best in Chiefs history.
In 2013 under Bieniemy, Charles led the NFL in touchdowns (19) and first downs (104) and ranked second in yards from scrimmage (1,980 yards). He recorded the most receiving yards by a running back in Chiefs history and led the AFC in rushing (1,287 yards).
Prior to returning to the NFL coaching ranks, Bieniemy spent two seasons (2011-12) at his alma mater Colorado after coaching the running backs for five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2006-10). In those five seasons, the Vikings produced a 1,000-yard rusher each year while his stable of running backs broke the 100-yard mark 31 times in 80 regular season games.
In 2006, he coached Chester Taylor, who rushed for 1,216 yards; the next season, Taylor and Adrian Peterson combined for 2,185 yards (1,341 by Peterson, who was All-Pro as a rookie). Peterson set a then-Vikings record with 1,760 yards in 2008, earning the Bert Bell Award as the Pro Football Player of the Year. Overall, Peterson totaled 5,782 rushing yards and 52 touchdowns in four seasons under Bieniemy's guidance.
Bieniemy made the move to the professional ranks after three seasons as the running backs coach at UCLA (2003-05). While at UCLA, Bieniemy tutored former NFL RB Maurice Jones-Drew for three seasons. Jones-Drew earned Freshman All-America honors in 2003, rushed for 1,007 yards in 2004 and was a consensus All-America selection as a kick returner in 2005.
Following his nine-year NFL playing career, Bieniemy served as an assistant at Thomas Jefferson High in Denver prior to securing his first job as running backs coach with Colorado. In his first two seasons coaching the position, CU ranked in the top-10 in rushing.
He was a second-round draft pick (39th overall) of the San Diego Chargers in the 1991 NFL Draft. He enjoyed a nine-year pro career with three teams: San Diego (1991-94), Cincinnati (1995-98) and Philadelphia (1999), where he played for Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid. In 142 career NFL games, he rushed for 1,589 yards and 11 touchdowns while catching 146 passes for 1,223 yards. He appeared in Super Bowl XXIX in his final season with the Chargers.
A letterwinner from Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, Calif., Bieniemy earned second-team All-America honors in football as a senior when he rushed for 2,002 yards and 30 touchdowns.
A native of New Orleans, Bieniemy is married to his wife, Mia and has two sons, Eric III and Elijah.
