Former Colorado football offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy doesn't have much faith coming from Mike Farrell of the Mike Farrell Sports brand after his move to UCLA to serve as new head coach DeShaun Foster's first OC in Pasadena.
"I’ve never been overly impressed," Farrell said of Bieniemy. "Andy Reid was the playcaller in Kansas City, and Bieniemy benefitted greatly from that as the OC, and he was not good with the Washington Commanders. He has his strengths as he works well with players and is a locker room guy by all accounts, but as a play caller, I think he’s overrated, and it won’t help a ton as UCLA will be outmatched in the Big Ten."
Bieniemy at UCLA isn't a popular move from an X's and O's standpoint to some, but to others, it's unpopular because of what it means for Black coaches getting head coaching opportunities in the NFL.
Skip Bayless sounds off on ex-Colorado football Eric Bieniemy taking UCLA OC job
Skip Bayless's reasoning for not being a fan of Bieniemy becoming UCLA's offensive coordinator is much different from Farrell's. The FS1 Undisputed host doesn't like what Bieniemy settling for a college OC job means for his NFL coaching prospects.
"When I first read this, it hit me as sad, like ‘this is just wrong,'" Bayless said (h/t FOX Sports). "'He deserved a better fate than this, now he’s relegated to having to go back to college.' Then I started thinking about the Rooney Rule. … It feels like he interviewed for every job for three years. A bunch of 'em were dog-and-pony interviews … and he got taken for rides numerous times. And I think that still sticks in his craw because it should.
"But I know who Eric Bieniemy is like crazy. Like, that's a big name to me. … He contributed to Kansas City's rise. … I didn't think that Eric made enough money in Kansas City, and then he goes to Washington, and that situation … it was doomed from the start. … There's only so much you can do, and he did the best he could."
Bieniemy's move to Los Angeles is not a popular one, and time will tell if the Bruins' offense can hang in a Big Ten conference known for its stout defenses. If he doesn't, he'd seemingly move even further away from ever being hired as an NFL coach.