Colorado reaches out to Chiefs' Eric Bieniemy for coaching job

Feb. 14 (UPI) -- The University of Colorado has reached out to Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy about its football head coaching vacancy.

Sources told 9 News Denver, Denver 7 and ESPN that Colorado contacted Bieniemy to gauge his interest in the job. Former Colorado coach Mel Tucker left the program after one year to lead the Michigan State football program Wednesday. Tucker led the Buffaloes to a 5-7 record in 2019.

A source told ESPN Bieniemy is doing his "due diligence" while considering the job opening.

Bieniemy has spent the last seven seasons with the Chiefs, helping to guide one of the NFL's most potent offenses. The 50-year-old offensive coordinator began his collegiate coaching career as the Colorado running backs coach in 2001. He left Colorado to take the same job at UCLA in 2003. Bieniemy became the Minnesota Vikings' running backs coach in 2006. He returned to Colorado to become the Buffaloes' offensive coordinator in 2011. Bieniemy joined the Chiefs as a running backs coach in 2013, before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2018.

He was a star running back at Colorado before his tenure as a coach. Bieniemy ended his collegiate career as the Buffaloes' all-time leading rusher with 3,940 yards.

Darrin Chiaverini is Colorado's interim coach while the program looks for a permanent option. Bieniemy missed out on being hired as an NFL coach during the most recent hiring cycle, but is expected to be a top NFL head coaching candidate once again after the 2020 season.

The Chiefs ranked third in total offense during the playoffs and sixth in total offense during the regular season before beating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.