Chiefs' Bieniemy: 'I'm going to keep pushing' for NFL head coaching job

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is disappointed that he didn't land a head coaching job this offseason despite generating interest from multiple teams again.

"In reality, it's tough," Bieniemy said Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Teicher. "But I don't let that keep me from doing what I do. I'm still alive, I'm breathing, and I have an opportunity to work for a championship team. That's the beauty of it.

"I don't want any pity. This is who I am. I'm going to keep pushing, keep knocking because when it's all said and done with, I know who I am, and I am comfortable with the person I'm striving to be."

Bieniemy had head coaching interviews with the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos earlier this year but wasn't hired by either team. It's the fourth offseason in which Bieniemy's been considered a leading candidate for NFL head coaching vacancies.

The 52-year-old has been with the Chiefs since 2013. He originally started as the running backs coach before taking over as offensive coordinator in 2018.

Bieniemy and head coach Andy Reid helped turn Kansas City's offense into a juggernaut since the Chiefs drafted quarterback Patrick Mahomes in 2017. The AFC West club has yet to finish a campaign worse than sixth in scoring and yards under Reid and Bieniemy's watch.

Bieniemy, who signed a one-year contract to return to Kansas City in February, won't give up trying to get a head coaching gig.

"I've just got to go get it," he said. "I'm not seeking any comfort. I haven't gotten it for whatever reason. It (doesn't) matter. I'm going to keep knocking on that door, and I'm going to keep working my ass off to make sure that it happens."

Bieniemy's two predecessors in Kansas City - Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy - ended up as NFL head coaches. Pederson, currently the Jacksonville Jaguars' sideline boss, left the Chiefs to join the Philadelphia Eagles as head coach in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears named Nagy as their head coach in 2018. The 2018 Coach of the Year returned to K.C. as a senior assistant and quarterbacks coach this year after Chicago fired him in January following four seasons.