Popular broadcaster Stephen A Smith says he is done defending Eric Bieniemy as he believes the NFL is doing right with growing the profile of black coaches.
Smith has long been a fan of promoting Bieniemy but now believes the new offensive coordinator at the UCLA Bruins could be the problem and not the NFL.
“I’m just looking at some of this stuff and saying to myself. What am I supposed to say for Eric Bieniemy at this point? He has been interviewed at least 15 times for 14 different head coaching jobs. And not one time has he walked away with the job. At some point in time, it has to be you. I’m not questioning his football acumen; I’m not questioning his resume. I’m saying that during the interview process, something has to be you if you have gotten 15 different interviews from 14 different franchises. And other Blacks have been hired and not you. The reality is that the NFL is hiring Black coaches now. They just aren’t Eric Bieniemy.
Smith has been vocal about promoting Black coaches into senior jobs at NFL franchises and believes the right teams in the league are doing just fine.
“The reality is that the NFL is hiring Black coaches now. They just aren’t Eric Bieniemy.”
“I have spent years lamenting the state of affairs when it comes to the state of affairs as it pertains to the National Football League and Black coaches,” said Smith on the Stephen A. Smith Show.
“I have spent years coming to the defense of Eric Bieniemy. Not anymore. Can’t do it anymore. When I think about Eric Bieniemy, I think about how Demeco Ryans got the job in Houston and Mike McDaniels, who is bi-racial in Miami. I think about Mike Tomlin, who has been in Pittsburgh for 17 years. Think about Todd Bowles, guys like this.”
Bieniemy is a former Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Commanders Offensive coordinator but has not landed a top NFL gig, so a step back into collegiate football is probably the right move.
