Who is Mia Bieniemy? Meet the wife of NFL coach Eric Bieniemy

Eric Bieniemy's wife, Mia Bieniemy, has been the steadfast force behind the scenes as he made headlines, first as a star running back and then as an NFL coach. The couple tied the knot in the mid-1990s and raised two sons together.

Key takeaways

• Eric Bieniemy's family rarely makes public appearances or tabloid headlines, but they have been his greatest support system in the NFL.
• The NFL coach has spoken fondly about his two sons, including the athletic Elijah and Eric III, who has cerebral palsy.
• Little is known about the relatively private Mia Bieniemy besides being Eric's wife.

Mia Bieniemy's profile summary

Eric and Mia Bieniemy have a long-standing marriage

The New Orleans-born football coach married Mia at the height of his NFL playing career in 1994. The couple did not announce their wedding and have kept details of their marriage private for the last three decades. Eric and Mia made a rare joint public outing in June 2023 when they walked the red carpet during the Super Bowl Championship Ring Ceremony in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Bieniemys welcomed two sons

Mia and Bieniemy's first son, Eric III, was born with cerebral palsy and respiratory issues. The NFL coach told The Denver Post in 2010 that his son's care dictates everything the family does.

He's the rock of the family. He runs the house. I always tell people: 'Do not feel sorry because my son has cerebral palsy. We're on his schedule. He makes all of the decisions. He's doing great.' 

During the 2020 NFL season, Bieniemy chose to stay in hotels to avoid exposing Eric III to COVID-19 because his situation made him a high-risk individual. The former Chiefs OC told SI before the 2021 Super Bowl that it was a challenge staying away from his family. On normal game days, his wheelchair-bound son sits inside the stadium alongside his mother, Mia.

Mia and Eric Bieniemy's younger son, Elijah, followed in his dad's athletic footsteps. He played varsity football and wrestling at Olathe Northwest High in Kansas, from where he graduated in 2017. Eric told The Denver Post that he did not want to coach Elijah, which would have affected their father-son relationship.

The thing about it is I'm just a dad. I'm there to support my son as he supports me on game day.

Where is Eric Bieniemy coaching now?

Bieniemy is a running back coach for the Chicago Bears, working under head coach Ben Johnson. He joined the Bears in early 2025, months after leaving UCLA, where he served as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for one season. According to his agent Jason Fletcher, a collegiate coaching career was not Bieniemy's long-term plan.

Eric and UCLA mutually parted ways as previously planned... After interviewing for head coaching jobs last year, he wanted to stay active and busy. So, he decided to go help out Deshaun Foster, who is like his little brother, at UCLA as opposed to sitting out a year. The plan was always to return to the NFL in 2025.

Bieniemy has over two decades of football coaching experience. He was with the Minnesota Vikings from 2006 to 2010, where he coached star running backs like Adrian Peterson. In 2013, he joined the Kansas City Chiefs as an RB coach and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2018, where he helped guide Patrick Mahomes to MVP seasons.

Why Eric Bieniemy has yet to become an NFL head coach

Towards the end of the head-coaching cycle in 2023, Bieniemy had reportedly been to 17 head-coaching interviews for 16 different teams, including twice for the New York Jets, but none had hired him. This has raised questions about racial bias in the NFL, where few head coaches are African-American despite having a majority Black player base.

Professor N. Jeremi Duru told USA Today in 2023 that being a top head-coaching candidate for so long might have destroyed Bieniemy's chances of ever making it.

This narrative begins to develop that, 'hey, maybe this person isn't getting a job year after year for a reason.' And it's unfortunate, and it's unfair, but I'm worried that some owners are now running that narrative with respect to Eric Bieniemy.

Bieniemy has the credentials that qualify him for the top job, including winning Super Bowl LIV and LVII as offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite the ongoing debate, Eric remains hopeful and told ESPN in 2020:

Everyone wants to hear I'm disappointed. That is not the case... I mean, that's everybody's dream to be one of the 32 head coaches — Someday, possibly, it may happen... I'm going to continue chopping wood, going to continue being me. Whatever is going to happen down the line is going to happen.

Did Eric Bieniemy win the Heisman?

The retired running back did not win the Heisman Trophy, but he came close to doing so. He finished third, behind Ty Detmer and Raghib Ismail, in the trophy's 1990 voting while playing for the Colorado Buffaloes.

During the season, Bieniemy rushed 1,628 yards and 17 touchdowns, earning Unanimous All-American honours and was named the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year. In the 1991 NFL Draft, he was drafted 39th overall by the San Diego Chargers.

Eric played for the Chargers from 1991 to 1994 before joining the Cincinnati Bengals, where he played until 1998. He spent his ninth NFL season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999.

Conclusion

Mia Bieniemy's family has been her priority since choosing a more private path away from her husband's decorated football career. Her invisible support continues to show visible results in Eric Bieniemy's work in the National Football League.

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Kingsbury dated Polish model Veronica Bielik for about two years before they quietly split sometime in early 2024. The NFL coach has also been linked to former Fox Sports reporter Holly Sonders and model Renée Estella.

Source: Briefly News