Bieniemy: ‘Eric Bieniemy is a tough, hard-nosed coach’

Washington Commanders assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has been known to coach players “hard” over the years; whether it’s as a running backs coach in Minnesota or as an OC in Kansas City, Bieniemy tries to get the most out of his players.

At this point, he appears to be doing the same in Washington.

On Tuesday, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera discussed Bieniemy’s intense style and how players are adjusting to it. According to Rivera, he has talked to players about how to handle Bieniemy.

“One of the biggest things is I had a number of guys come to me, and I said, hey, just go talk to him(Bieniemy),” Rivera said. “I said, understand what he’s trying to get across to you. And I think as they go and they talk, and they listen to him, it’s been enlightening for a lot of these guys. I mean, it’s a whole different approach. Again, you’re getting a different kind of player from the players back in the past, especially in light of how things are coming outta college football. So, a lot of these young guys, they do struggle with certain things, and a lot you got to take for where they’ve been. I mean, guys coming from certain programs are used to it; guys coming from other programs aren’t as much. Us as a coach, I kind of have to assimilate and get a feel for everybody. 

“Eric has an approach, and it’s the way he does things, and he’s not going to change because he believes in it. [Defensive Coordinator] Jack [Del Rio] has his approach, having been a head coach, I think Jack has a tendency to try and figure guys out a little bit more as opposed to, hey, this is it, this is the way it’s going to be that type of stuff. Where Eric hasn’t had that experience yet.”

In addition, according to Rivera, some players have come to him with concerns about Bieniemy’s coaching style.

Bieniemy discussed his intensity on Tuesday. 

“I’ve been coaching since I retired from football,” he said. “So, you got to understand this, with the group, I’m always going to remain the same. I’m always going to be loud, and I’m always going to be vocal. I’m always going to demand from our leaders. But on top of that, I’m watching everything. Body language, how we address in the huddle, how we’re getting up to the line of scrimmage, how we’re presenting ourselves. Those things are important because you got to send a message to the defense. 

“I want our guys to clearly understand that we’re not taking anything for granted. When it’s all said and done with, do I spend time with players? Yes. You guys have been here; you see me pull players onto the side and have long discussions with them just so we are all always on the same page. Eric Bieniemy is who he is. Eric Bieniemy knows how to adapt and adjust. Eric Bieniemy is a tough, hard-nosed coach, but also understand I’m going to be their biggest and harshest critic, but I’m also their number one fan because I got their back, and I’m going to support them at all times.”

None of this matters if the Commanders’ offense balls out and they put up big numbers. However, if the offense and team struggle, you could have some problems.