How Seahawks hiring Eric Bieniemy as OC and future HC would make sense

Jan 19, 2020; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 19, 2020; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

How this affects Seahawks coach Pete Carroll

Pete Carroll signed an extension during the 2020 season to be the head coach in Seattle through 2025. An important thing to note is that Carroll is also Executive Vice President of Football Operations. Even if Carroll were not the football coach of the team, he would still be heavily involved in the organization.

Carroll is 69 years old and the oldest coach in the NFL. He is a young 69, however. I am much younger than Carroll and he appears to have more energy and in better shape than I have ever had or been in. That said, the oldest head coach in NFL history was Romeo Crennel who took over the Texans when Bill O’Brien was fired early in the season. Crennel is 73 years old. Carroll will turn 70 at the beginning of the 2022 season.

Hiring Bieniemy to be the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach with some kind of guarantee that he will become the Seahawks head coach after Carroll decides to retire might sound a bit odd but it will help Seattle long-term, not do anything to Pete Carroll’s tenure as head coach unless he decided to step down early (which is completely possible) and help Bieniemy get to where he wants which is to be an NFL head coach.

Hiring Bieniemy as offensive coordinator would give Carroll the kind of OC he would like, though. Bieniemy was a running back in the NFL and the Chiefs are good at running the ball creatively so if Carroll does want more of a run-pass balance, Bieniemy would be a great fit. Plus, Bieniemy helps design offensive plays that get the best out of a mobile quarterback and that would only help Russell Wilson.