Adam Rittenberg
Adam Rittenberg
ESPN Senior Writer
- College football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.
Jake Trotter
Jake Trotter
ESPN Senior Writer
- Jake Trotter covers college football for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2011. Before that, he worked at The Oklahoman, Austin American-Statesman and Middletown (Ohio) Journal newspapers. You can follow him @Jake_Trotter.
Dec 5, 2024, 01:07 PM ET
UCLA is firing offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy after one season, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.
The Bruins ranked 126th nationally in scoring (18.4 points per game) and failed to put up more than 20 points over their final four games. The Bruins finished 5-7 this season, failing to reach bowl eligibility.
Offensive line coach Juan Castillo also is not expected to return at UCLA, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Bieniemy joined coach DeShaun Foster's staff after calling plays for the NFL's Washington Commanders last season. Before that, he was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs and two Super Bowl teams.
Bieniemy's buyout is worth more than $1.2 million, a source told Thamel.
His agent, Jason Fletcher, told ESPN in a statement that Bieniemy's exit was "previously planned" and that "the plan was always to return to the NFL in 2025."
Uncertainty with the Bruins' offensive coordinator position was a factor in four-star quarterback recruit Madden Iamaleava's decision to flip from UCLA to Arkansas on national signing day, a source told ESPN's Eli Lederman.
Indiana quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri has emerged as the target to replace Bienemy, sources told Thamel. Sunseri will remain with the Hoosiers through the College Football Playoff, a source said.
Bieniemy's firing was first reported by Yahoo Sports.
