Another Buff bites the dust.
Former CU running back and current Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to replace Mel Tucker as Buffs football coach, according to multiple media outlets.
Bieniemy, 50, left Boulder in 1990 as the school’s all-time leader rusher and had served two other stints at CU as running backs coach (2001-02) and as offensive coordinator (2011-12).
He’s never been a head coach at the collegiate or NFL level, but has drawn increased interest for his work with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and is considered a strong contender to land an NFL head coaching job within the next few hiring cycles.
Bieniemy is the second confirmed candidate to pull out of the running for the CU job. ESPN’s Chris Low reported Thursday that former Washington and USC coach Steve Sarkisian, currently the offensive coordinator at Alabama, will return to Tuscaloosa with a significant pay bump for 2020.
Sarkisian made $1.55 million last fall in Tuscaloosa. The Buffs had been slated to pay Tucker $2.675 million in 2020.
CU had reportedly interviewed Sarkisian, former Wisconsin and Arkansas coach Bret Bielema, Air Force coach Troy Calhoun, and interim coach Darrin Chiaverini, among others, in recent days. 9News was the first to report Bieniemy had dropped out.
Mutliple outlets, including BuffZone, reported Friday that inside linebackers coach Ross Els will follow Tucker to Michigan State. Offensive coordinator Jay Johnson and offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic are also going from Boulder to East Lansing.