Eric Bieniemy out as UCLA’s offensive coordinator. AP source says Tino Sunseri tabbed as replacement
AP Sports Writers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Eric Bieniemy’s return to UCLA lasted only one season.
The Bruins let go of Bieniemy on Thursday after fielding one of the nation’s worst offenses this season.
It didn’t take head coach DeShaun Foster long to find a replacement.
Indiana quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri will become the new Bruins offensive coordinator, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Bruins had not yet announced the decision.
Sunseri spent one season at Indiana after following Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison. Cignetti and Sunseri worked together for four seasons, the first three with the Dukes, who made the most successful transition from FCS to FBS in history.
Bieniemy was hired as associate head coach and offensive coordinator shortly after Foster was hired as head coach in February. Bieniemy was also on the Bruins staff from 2003-05 as running backs coach.
Jason Fletcher, Bieniemy’s agent, said in a statement that Bieniemy planned to stay only one season in Westwood and termed it a “mutual parting of the ways.” However, Bieniemy signed a two-year contract at UCLA and did have a retention bonus if he was on staff for the 2025 season.
“After interviewing for head coaching jobs last year, he wanted to stay active and busy,” Fletcher said. “So, he decided to go help out Deshaun Foster, who is like his little brother, at UCLA as opposed to sitting out a year.”
Out of 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, UCLA was 117th in total offense (328.8 yards per game), 126th in scoring (18.4 points per game) and had the nation’s fifth-worst rushing attack (86.6 yards per game).
The Bruins — 5-7 in their first season in the Big Ten after qualifying for a bowl the last three years — were the sixth Power Five team since 2000 that didn’t score at least 20 points in their first six games.
Players also said early in the season that Bieniemy’s scheme was difficult to grasp and that play calls could be too wordy.
Bieniemy was a two-time Super Bowl champion offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs but his last two stops have not gone well. He was Washington’s offensive coordinator in 2023 but was not retained after Ron Rivera was fired.
Bieniemy said in an email to ESPN earlier this year that he was not fired by Washington and that he received NFL offers to coach running backs or be a passing game coordinator.
However, when asked during UCLA’s spring practice to explain those remarks or what his other job prospects were, he refused to do so.
“What I’m going say is this: I’m here coaching at UCLA. All that other stuff, you could go talk to the Commanders. I’ll leave it just like that,” he said.
Bieniemy wasn’t retained by new Commanders coach Dan Quinn, who replaced Rivera.
Despite his success in Kansas City, Bieniemy hasn’t landed a heading coach job, even though he’s interviewed with more than half of the NFL’s 32 teams.
Fletcher said: “The plan was always to return to the NFL in 2025, and he’s looking forward to the opportunities ahead.”
Sunseri’s immediate priority will be to stem any further losses to the transfer portal. Quarterback Justyn Martin — who was on track to compete for the starting job following the graduation of Ethan Garbers — and running back T.J. Harden have already entered the portal.
At Indiana, Sunseri worked closely with Kurtis Rourke, a transfer from Mid-American Conference school Ohio. Rourke went on to have one of the best seasons in Hoosiers history as No. 9 Indiana (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten, No. 9 CFP) broke single-season school records for victories and conference wins and appears set to make its CFP debut in two weeks.
Sunseri, like Cignetti, also coached previously at Alabama. Sunseri served as a graduate assistant for the Crimson Tide in 2019 and 2020 after previous stints at Florida State and Tennessee. The 35-year-old Sunseri also spent three seasons with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, winning a Grey Cup title as a rookie in 2013 following his college career at Pittsburgh.
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Marot reported from Indianapolis. ___
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