KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said he expects offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to return for the 2021 season, but the team is losing an offensive assistant, running backs coach Deland McCullough.
Reid said Monday that he’s talked with Bieniemy, who is out of contract after the 2020 season and was passed over for a head coaching position once during the NFL hiring cycle this offseason.
“EB and I have talked about that,” Reid said. “I’ll keep that between us... We’ll get all that settled this next week and see where everything goes.”
As first reported by Football Scoop, running backs coach Deland McCullough is leaving the Chiefs’ staff to return to Indiana University.
Welcome back, @coachdmc! #IUFB pic.twitter.com/dnzVGnBVLt
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) February 8, 2021
McCullough, 48, has served as the Chiefs running backs coach for the past three seasons. He spent 2011-16 in the same role with the Hoosiers.
McCullough will serve as an associate head coach/running backs coach on Tom Allen’s Indiana staff. The two previously worked together at IU in 2016.
McCullough replaces Mike Hart, who left for the University of Michigan, on the Hoosiers’ staff. He previously spent the 2017 season at the University of Southern California.
ESPN chronicled McCullough’s quest to track down his biological family in September 2018.
As for Bieneimy, count Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes among those pleased he’ll return for a fourth season as offensive coordinator.
“To have him back, the leader that he is in our locker room, it kind of sets the tone and sets the culture,” Mahomes said Monday. “And obviously, he’ll continue to improve our offense.”
Mahomes said Bieniemy deserves credit for helping evolve the Chiefs’ offense along with Reid and quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka.
Mahomes said he planned to spend Monday reviewing film from the Chiefs’ 31-9 loss in Super Bowl LV, knowing opposing defenses are likely to copy Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Todd Bowles’ concepts next season.
During the offseason, Mahomes said he will continue to work on being more efficient with his decision-making and throws.
