They didn’t fire Eric Bieniemy, because he quit. Like he was always planning to. Apparently.
Except UCLA says it did fire Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator under whom the 5-7 Bruins ranked 117th in total offense in DeShaun Foster’s first season as head coach: “We have parted ways with Coach Bieniemy and are moving in a new direction.”
Either way, Bieniemy’s exit came the day after early signing period commenced, fewer than 24 hours after Long Beach Poly quarterback Madden Iamaleava, a four-star prospect, and wide receiver Jace Brown flipped their commitments from UCLA to Arkansas.
The timing was between inopportune and peculiar. Confusing. Like Bieniemy’s offense.
The Bruins have to hope the next guy – who will be their third OC in three seasons – will bring some clarity and consistency and if Indiana QB coach/co-OC Tino Sunseri is that guy, as multiple reports have it, I can see the vision, can’t you?
The 35-year-old former Pitt QB just helped lead one of the nation’s top offenses in 2024. Sunseri was Kurtis Rourke’s coach as he became one of the nation’s top passers after transferring in from Ohio.
Sunseri helped the Hoosiers go 11-1, putting them on the brink of an at-large berth in the 12-team CFP. The Bruins, meanwhile, fell short of even being bowl eligible.
The chasm between the new conference foes – both helmed by new coaches – was all too apparent when the Hoosiers routed UCLA 42-13 in the Bruins’ Big Ten debut at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 14.
But UCLA got an up-close-and-personal look at what a Sunseri pupil could do that night: Rourke tossed four touchdowns as the Bruins scrapped for 230 yards to the Hoosiers’ 430. It was a nightmare start to a dream job for Foster, whose first coaching hire was, apparently, only ever planning to stick around for one season.
Even if it’s totally true, the explanation from Bieniemy’s agent, Jason Fletcher, didn’t do much to save face Thursday morning: “Eric and UCLA mutually parted ways today as previously planned…” was his statement to NFL Network. “After interviewing for head coaching jobs last year, he wanted to stay active and busy. So, he decided to go help out Deshaun Foster, who is like his little brother, at UCLA as opposed to sitting out a year. The plan was always to return to the NFL in 2025.”
I mean, maybe. Sure. Whatever. It’s just that UCLA brought Bieniemy aboard on a two-year deal, with a reported $1.2 million buyout. The Bruins touted him as the guy on staff whose experience would complement a first-time head coach without any. He was the Southern California product who was supposed to be a recruiting draw, not a deterrent. The steal of a hire who was, yes, supposed to be considered NFL head coaching material …
… because what screams “highly desirable head coaching candidate” like a coordinator whose Washington Commanders finished 24th in total offense (312.8) before his Bruins went and averaged a tepid 18.4 points per game (126th nationally) while failing to eclipse more than 20 points in any of their final four games.
A coordinator whose players – smart guys, those Bruins, as Foster reminded everyone before this season’s USC tilt – began the season seemingly stumped by Bieniemy’s new playbook. Whose purported praise made it sound like learning their own offense was a new kind of coach’s challenge atop what was awaiting them in the Big Ten.
“I mean, the playbook is huge, we’ve got every play you could think of,” wide receiver Logan Loya told the L.A. Times. Fellow receiver J.Michael Sturdivant said Bieniemy’s seemingly infinite new system was “definitely a different one for me,” which is why he’d “been studying it a lot coming out here early to practice, walking through the script and making sure I get comfortable with the offense.” And QB Ethen Garbers called learning the new schemes “difficult.”
When so many players say the quiet part out loud, it’s not really quiet anymore.
And so now, on Dec. 5, the Bruins are recalibrating. No. 2 quarterback Justyn Martin, starting running back TJ Harden and Loya already announced they were hitting the transfer portal. And many of Bieniemy’s hand-picked staff will reportedly become free agents too, including offensive line coach Juan Castillo and quarterbacks coach Ted White.
Incoming? It’s looking like the rising star Sunseri, under whom Rourke earned second-team All-Big Ten honors after completing 202 of 287 passes (70.4%) for 2,827 yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions to lead the nation with a 181.4 passer rating.
Related Articles
UCLA parts ways with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy
UCLA bolsters defense on Signing Day, loses two local 4-star recruits
UCLA WR Logan Loya will enter the transfer portal
UCLA running back T.J. Harden plans to enter transfer portal
UCLA quarterback Justyn Martin announces intent to enter transfer portal
Looking like it could be the real steal Sunseri, under whom three James Madison quarterbacks won conference player of the year honors.
Looking like Sunseri, who Foster should be familiar with from his own NFL days, because Tino’s father, Sal, was the Carolina Panthers’ defensive line coach while the Bruins’ head coach played there, from 2002-07.
Looking a lot like Christmas.
It would be fantastic call to finish Foster’s first season at the helm … even if, inevitably, the days could be numbered on this hire too, but not because just Sunseri and his agent will be saying so.