The Chicago Bears have been quite the tumultuous organization in the last few years. They can’t seem to get the quarterback position right and hire a new head coach every few years.
Once again, they were in the market for a new skipper, hiring former Lions OC Ben Johnson to be Matt Eberflus’ successor. Vikings DC Brian Flores also interviewed for that role, but Johnson got the nod.
Bears Hire Former Vikings Coach
The old head coach was fired halfway through the season following the disastrous clock management on the national stage when rookie passer Caleb Williams wasted valuable seconds late in the game against the Detroit Lions. A timeout could have prevented that.
Regardless, Eberflus was let go a day later, which included another strange aspect: he spoke to the media just hours before his employment was terminated.
Johnson has the tough task of calming down an organization that desperately needs some continuity. He has hired a bunch of new assistant coaches to help him.
On Saturday, reports surfaced about another one of those hires. Eric Bienemy was named running backs coach of the Chicago Bears.
CBS’ NFL insider Jonathan Jones broke the news, “An NFL return: Eric Bieniemy has agreed to terms with the Chicago Bears to be their running backs coach, source tells NFLonCBS. A 2-time Super Bowl champ with the Chiefs, Bieniemy gives Ben Johnson’s offensive staff a veteran, championship presence.”
A veteran presence, indeed. Bienemy has been a coach for 25 years, but he started as a player and first-time head coaches surround themselves with experinced coaches.
Following a productive career at the University of Colorado, the running back was drafted in the second round of the 1991 draft, spending four years each with the Chargers and Bengals before playing his final campaign with the Eagles in 1999.
Bienemy then became an assistant coach at Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver, Colorado, and was named RB coach at the University of Colorado a year later. A stint at UCLA was followed by employment with the Vikings under Brad Childress from 2006 to 2010 with positions as running backs coach and assistant head coach.
During that time, he worked with Adrian Peterson, helping him become the top running backs of his generation.
Bienemy departed shortly after Childress’ firing and became the offensive coordinator at Colorado. Andy Reid, for whom he played his one season in Philadelphia, hired him as his RBs coach in 2013. Five years later, Reid promoted his longtime assistant to offensive coordinator.
He oversaw some high-flying offenses with Patrick Mahomes slinging the ball in his five seasons in that role, naturally elevating him into head coaching conversations. Although getting numerous interview chances, he has never gotten that promotion.
In 2023, Bienemy became the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the Washington Commanders, perhaps hoping play-calling duties would help him land one of those coveted 32 jobs. Unfortunately, the entire coaching staff was let go ahead of the 2024 season, and he became the assistant head coach and OC at UCLA.
One year later, Bienemy is back in the NFL.
Last offseason, D’Andre Swift signed a three-year contract with the Bears, but considering Swift’s past with Johnson in Detroit and Johnson’s Lions offenses that featured possibly the best RB duo in the NFL, it remains to be seen whether Swift will actually be the RB1 in Bienemy’s backfield.
Bienemy, 55, will have two matchups against the Vikings in the 2025 season.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
