Eric Bieniemy and Vance Joseph became BFFs in college 36 years ago

But now Bieniemy has become Joseph’s enemy.

The two Omega Psi Phi fraternity brothers convene and confront again on Monday night.

Bieniemy and Vance, who were born 4 miles and four years apart in greater New Orleans, once ran and threw in the same game for the 1990 Colorado Buffaloes.

Senior running back and All-American Bieniemy completed his one pass for 15 yards. Third-string freshman quarterback Joseph misconnected with his only pass.

Against Kansas State, Bienemy rushed 18 times for 174 yards and three touchdowns, while Joseph had three carries for 20 yards.

At CU, the two teammates — Bieniemy helped to recruit Joseph to Boulder — would become national champions, with Bieniemy in a starring role and Joseph on the sideline, as CU nudged Notre Dame, 10-9.

In 2001, they reunited as Buffs assistant coaches.

Each played in the NFL — Bieniemy for nine seasons, Joseph for one. They didn’t play against each other, but they occasionally have coached against one another.

As offensive coordinator, Bieniemy is back with the Chiefs this season, while Joseph returned to the Broncos as defensive coordinator in 2023.

Oddly enough, both were interviewed by one team years ago in the same week for the vacant head coaching job.

They’ve been praising each other in the week leading up to The Big Game. They probably will be cursing each other during.

In Kansas City, they will meet mano-a-mano on the field beforehand and shake hands, then come out fighting at kickoff, and the game is afoot for the league’s Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty.

With the 53-year-old Joseph as Broncos defensive coordinator and the Chiefs without 57-year-old Bieniemy as Chiefs offensive coordinator, the Broncos have prevailed in three consecutive games. Bieniemy was previously the running backs coach and was then designated offensive coordinator when the Chiefs defeated the Broncos 15 games in a row.

If that adversarial adventure between friends and foes is not enough to whet the appetite of 80,000 witnesses at Arrowhead Stadium for the opening Monday night game of the 2026 season, millions will watch the 125th regular-season contest between Denver and Kansas City (not counting the first six games of the series between the Broncos and the Dallas Texans, and the pair played one postseason match won by the Broncos).

This AFC West rivalry always is for real, although both franchises hate the Raiders, who have been duh Raiders for decades. And the Chargers are usually an also-ran team.

An advantage for the Broncos this season is they don’t have to travel to Kansas City in December or January for the 27th time. Weather always is a factor there then, and brass monkeys have to stay indoors. The parking lot is transformed into the world’s largest barbecue pit for the league’s best tailgaters. And being the visiting team in the loudest stadium is no bargain.

The second coordinators’ clash connection between the Chiefs and the Broncos involves KC’s veteran defensive architect Steve Spagnuolo and Broncos brainy rookie offensive coordinator Davis Webb.

Webb was backup quarterback with the Giants in 2017, as Spagnuolo took over as interim head coach. They bonded when Steve considered Davis a future coach.

If the Broncos get close to a championship season, the franchise most likely will lose its offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching.

Spagnuolo nearly became the Broncos head coach and later worked briefly for Sean Payton. The Broncos had Steve on the short list after Mike Shanahan was fired at the end of the 2008 season. The Giants’ coordinator and I, as an interloper in the locker room in New York, found out Josh McDaniels had been hired. Spagnuolo got the St. Louis Rams head position instead and eventually would hire McDaniels after he abruptly was fired by the Broncos.

When the Rams fired Spagnuolo, he joined the Saints with Payton, although the head coach was suspended for the 2012 season. Payton dumped the short-timer after the season.

However, Spagnuolo has been an assistant on four Super Bowl title teams.
The Broncos and the Chiefs strive for a fourth NFL championship starting Monday.

Omega Psi Greeks and Geeks at CU — and all Americans — must pick a side and coordinator to win.