December 5th 2024.
UCLA's offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy's time with the Bruins was short-lived, as the team decided to let him go after a disappointing season. The team had one of the worst offenses in the country, which ultimately led to Bieniemy's departure. However, it didn't take long for head coach DeShaun Foster to find a replacement.
According to a source who spoke with the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, Indiana's quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri will be taking over as UCLA's new offensive coordinator. Sunseri had spent just one season at Indiana, following head coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison. Cignetti and Sunseri had previously worked together for four seasons, with their most successful stint being at James Madison, where they made history by transitioning from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Bieniemy had joined the Bruins' staff in February, shortly after Foster was hired as head coach. This was his second time with the Bruins, as he had previously served as the team's running backs coach from 2003-2005. However, his agent, Jason Fletcher, stated that Bieniemy had always planned on staying for just one season and that it was a mutual decision to part ways. It's worth noting that Bieniemy had signed a two-year contract with UCLA and had a retention bonus if he stayed on until the 2025 season.
Fletcher explained that after interviewing for head coaching positions last year, Bieniemy wanted to stay busy and decided to help out his "little brother" Foster at UCLA instead of sitting out a year. Unfortunately, the Bruins' offense struggled under Bieniemy's leadership, ranking 117th in total offense, 126th in scoring, and having the fifth-worst rushing attack in the nation. This was a far cry from their previous three seasons, where they had qualified for a bowl game.
Players also voiced their struggles with Bieniemy's offensive scheme, finding it difficult to grasp and feeling that the play calls were too wordy. Despite his success as an offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs, Bieniemy's last two coaching stints have not gone well. He was Washington's offensive coordinator in 2023 but was not retained after Ron Rivera was fired.
In an email to ESPN earlier this year, Bieniemy clarified that he was not fired by Washington and had received offers from NFL teams to coach running backs or be a passing game coordinator. However, he refused to discuss these remarks or his prospects during UCLA's spring practice, stating that he was solely focused on coaching at UCLA.
With Sunseri taking over as UCLA's offensive coordinator, his immediate priority will be to prevent further losses to the transfer portal. Already, quarterback Justyn Martin and running back T.J. Harden have entered the portal, leaving the team with gaps to fill. Sunseri had previously worked closely with transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke at Indiana, who had an impressive season and helped the team break multiple school records.
Sunseri's coaching experience includes stints at Alabama, where he served as a graduate assistant, as well as at Florida State and Tennessee. He also spent three seasons with the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he won a Grey Cup title in 2013. Meanwhile, Michael Marot reported from Indianapolis, and Joe Reedy reported from Los Angeles.
For updates and alerts on the AP Top 25 throughout the season, sign up here. And for all things college football, visit https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
