Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy Reportedly Turns Down Colorado Head Coaching Job

Eric Bieniemy won't be returning to Colorado to coach at his alma mater.   

According to 9News' Mike Klis, the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator informed the school he doesn't want to become the head football coach. Klis added that Bieniemy made his decision Wednesday and remained steadfast Thursday.

The 50-year-old would've been the ideal hire for the Buffaloes. He's fresh off helping the Chiefs win the Super Bowl, and he was a star running back for the team from 1987-90.

However, the odds always seemed low he'd actually take the job.

Since the 2007 season, Colorado has made one bowl appearance. The success the Buffaloes enjoyed in the late 1980s and into the early 2000s has evaporated.

Despite building a strong resume as an NFL assistant coach, Bieniemy continues to be overlooked when head-coaching vacancies open up across the league. In the event he went to Colorado and the program continued to be mired in mediocrity, the road to becoming an NFL head coach might have become even more difficult.

Staying with the Chiefs was the easy call in this situation.

Now, the school is left scrambling to find a replacement for Mel Tucker. Klis provided an update on the search:

Of the three candidates interviewed by Colorado, Darrin Chiaverini might make the most sense.

The timing of Tucker's departure left the Buffaloes in a tight spot since a lot of candidates who might have been open to the job earlier were effectively off the board.

Chiaverini took over for Tucker on an interim basis, having previously served as the wide receivers coach. The administration could give him a shot for 2020 and then re-evaluate the coaching setup based on how the team performs.