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Eric Bieniemy: I’m going to focus on what I need to focus on

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Michael Holley and Mike Smith examine the reasons why Eric Bieniemy and Byron Leftwich were overlooked in the past coaching carousel while providing an overall solution for more Black head coach hirings in the NFL.

Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy interviewed for more head coaching jobs this offseason, but he did not land any of the openings around the league.

That’s been a bone of contention for those who feel that the color of Bieniemy’s skin is working against him because his qualifications are enough to earn a chance at a top job. During Tuesday’s media availability, Bieniemy was asked about dealing with questions like that for another year.

Bieniemy said he “learned a long time ago how to persevere through adversity” and explained that his approach to doing so is to concentrate on the task at hand.

“I’m going to focus on what I need to focus on. . . . It’s making sure whatever’s happening with Eric Bieniemy isn’t distracting us from pursuing our goals. . . . You move on by making sure we’re focused on the goal. And the goal has always been to win the Super Bowl,” Bieniemy said.

Bieniemy said he has not spoken to any of the teams he interviewed with to receive feedback on the process. He said he’ll turn back to handling his own business on Monday or “maybe even Tuesday after I take a nap.”