And now come the deliberations.
A whirlwind nine-day trip around the country wrapped up Friday night when Broncos general manager George Paton and his search committee were in Kansas City to interview Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
Bieniemy is the 10th candidate to meet with Paton and Co., since coach Vic Fangio was fired on Jan. 9.
According to a source, the Broncos’ contingent was expected to fly back to the Denver area after the Bieniemy interview. They will re-group this weekend to determine which candidates merit a second interview and a possible visit to the Broncos’ facility.
Each of the interviews have lasted 3-4 hours.
The full list of interviews: Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn (Jan. 13), Green Bay quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy (Jan. 14), Green Bay offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett (Jan. 15), Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore (Tuesday), New England inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo and Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon (Wednesday), Cincinnati offensive coordinator Brian Callahan and Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell (Thursday) and Bieniemy.
All but Callahan visited with the Broncos in-person.
While not the Chiefs’ play-caller, Bieniemy, 52, does have a lengthy and impressive coaching resume that’s made him a talked-about candidate for several years.
“It disappoints me that someone hasn’t hired him, because he’s so good,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters last week. “I’m hoping that takes place this year.”
After the season from 2018-20, Bieniemy interviewed for 11 head-coaching jobs. The Broncos were his first interview during this cycle.
Bieniemy started his coaching career as an assistant at Denver’s Thomas Jefferson High School and then became CU’s running back coach in 2001. He jumped to the NFL in 2007, and now has 14 years of NFL coaching experience.
During Bieniemy’s four years on the Minnesota Vikings’ coaching staff, Paton worked in the team’s front office.
Bieniemy has spent the past four seasons as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator and Kansas City has finished first, fifth, sixth and fourth in scoring. The second-seeded Chiefs host Buffalo Sunday night in the AFC Divisional round.
Ahead of last week’s wild-card win over Pittsburgh, Bieniemy said his concentration was centered on helping the Chiefs reach a third consecutive Super Bowl.
“All that is going to take care of itself,” Bieniemy said of being on the head-coaching radar. “And do not get me wrong, I am blessed and I am very fortunate to be a part of that chatter and some of the (conversations) that are taking place. But right now, my focus is on (the Chiefs’ offense).”
Ahead of last season’s Super Bowl, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes saluted Bieniemy.
“He gives me every single tool that is needed so I know exactly what to do,” Mahomes said. “Obviously you know he’s disappointed he didn’t get the opportunity to become a head coach after (the 2020) season. But he knows all he can do is make himself and this team better every single day, and he always comes to work with that mindset.”
Before coaching, Bieniemy played nine years in the NFL after being drafted by the Chargers in the second round of the 1991 draft out of CU. With the Buffs, he had 3,940 yards rushing over four seasons from 1987-90, with 5.6 average yards per carry and 42 total touchdowns.