On Wednesday, UCLA athletic department officials confirmed that
UCLA running backs’ coach Eric Bieniemy had been requested and was
given permission to speak with the Minnesota Vikings regarding the
Vikings’ open running backs’ coach position.
UCLA, however, could not confirm whether Bieniemy had
interviewed with the Vikings or if he had spoken with the team.
Bieniemy, also the team’s main recruiting coordinator, underwent
a similar process last season when the University of Texas
contacted the former NFL running back to take their running backs’
coach position.
Bieniemy rejected the offer after the Bruins increased
Bieniemy’s salary to $145,000 and added the recruiting tag to his
coaching duties.
Bieniemy is being courted by Vikings coach Brad Childress, who
was hired on Jan. 6.
Bieniemy’s last year in the NFL was in 1999, as a member of the
Philadelphia Eagles.
He has been on coach Karl Dorrell’s coaching staff since 2003,
and has been instrumental in the development and recruitment of
running backs Maurice Drew and Chris Markey.
If Bieniemy were to leave, the Bruins would take a big hit on
the recruiting side, as he was recently named one of the top five
recruiting coaches in the nation.
A factor in Bieniemy’s decision would be his son, Eric Bieniemy
III, who suffers from cerebral palsy and is currently receiving
treatment at the UCLA medical center, one of the top centers in the
country to treat the disease.
His son’s arrangement was one of the reasons Bieniemy decided to
stay with the Bruins after being courted by Texas in 2004.
KIA COMMITS: Micah Kia, 6-foot-5-inch, 305
pound offensive lineman from Hawaii, verbally committed to the
Bruins on Tuesday.
Kia is generally considered to be the top prospect off of the
island, and he chose the Bruins over the University of
Tennessee.
He is the eighth offensive lineman to commit to the Bruins
for the 2006 recruiting class, and adds to an already successful
recruiting season for the Bruins.
Kia, from Mililani High School in Hawaii, was an honorable
mention all-state in 2005, and is listed by Scout.com as the No.
28-ranked offensive lineman in the nation for 2006.
BRUINS PLAY IN ALL-STAR GAMES: Six senior
Bruins will participate in all-star games in the month of January,
including John Mackey Award winner Marcedes Lewis.
Lewis will compete in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on Jan.
28 along with senior linebacker Spencer Havner.
Meanwhile, quarterback Drew Olson will play in the East-West
Shrine Game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Jan. 21 at 1
p.m.
Both the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game will be
televised on ESPN2.
Safety Jarrad Page and quarterback David Koral finally will play
in All-American Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. this Saturday.
Offensive lineman Ed Blanton will play in the Hula Bowl in
Hawaii on Jan. 21 at 4 p.m.