On the radio show and a couple of times in this column we have talked about NFL coach Eric Bienemy. Eric has been something of a poster child for the race baiters not only in sports media but also people like Jake Tapper at CNN. Eric has interviewed for a head coaching position 15 times and has been passed over 15 times. The narrative, of course, is that NFL owners are racist and will not hire him because he's black. Despite the fact that on at least three occasions, a black man was hired for the position. As we know, facts do not matter.
On paper Bienemy would seem to be a highly sought after head coach candidate. As the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, he has helped guide them to three Super Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl victories in five years. Patrick Mahomes is already considered the best quarterback in the league and some people say he will surpass Tom Brady as the greatest of all time. But since Bienemy has not reaped the rewards that other assistant coaches, such as Kevin O'Connell and Mike Daniels, of the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins respectively reaped after their teams one Super Bowls, the race baiters are pointing to the color of his skin as the reason.
In the NFL teams are pressured to hire minority candidates for high profile jobs. But on some level they still have to earn it and Eric clearly has not been able to make the sale during the interview process. Former players have said that he is not good at creating a positive culture and positive relationships with the players he coaches. Even some of his supporters admit that he has very little to do with the offensive game plan, duties that are performed by head coach Andy Reid. Just watching a Kansas City game proves that Eric does not call the plays, a key responsibility for most offensive coordinators. Others have said that he does not handle any of the administrative duties a head coach must perform, something that is key to training for the promotion.
In today's world, you would expect that Eric would be quite vocal about his lack of success in obtaining a head coach position. You might even expect that he would fall in line with the cacophony of voices claiming racism. He might even join the lawsuit filed by former Miami dolphin head coach, Brian Flores, climbing the league and its owners are racist and to treat black coaches differently. He has not done so, Much to the dismay of "supporters" like Stephen A Smith, Shannon Sharpe, and Skip Bayless.
Rather than play the victim, Eric has taken a a road that some might call old school. He has listened to some of the criticisms and decided to take a job as the offensive coordinator with another team. He wants to prove that he can achieve the same success that he experienced in Kansas City while having full responsibility for the duties of an offensive coordinator. In a rare public statement about the situation, he praised some of his most vocal critics by saying some of their concerns were legitimate and it has given him the impetus to work on improving his weaknesses. He believes in himself and his capabilities and believes that if he can get out of the shadow of Andy Reid, he will be able to prove to others that he has the skills necessary to succeed and become a head coach.
I have been one of those that has watched this saga unfold for the last two years and was critical of Eric. I have a newfound respect for him given his decision to take the high road with his critics and to look for things he can control, things he can do to prove himself. He has not looked for a crying closet nor has he played the victim by blaming others for his lack of success. He is pulling himself up by his bootstraps and taking control of his life as much as possible. He may never get a head coaching position but he has set a wonderful example for others. It's too bad the race baiters won't laud him for it.