Report: Boston College nearing deal to make Bill O'Brien next head football coach

The Boston College Eagles have their next head football coach, with Bill O’Brien nearing a deal to take over the position from Jeff Hafley, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.

O’Brien was most recently the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots. However, following the 2023 season, he took the role of offensive coordinator with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Now, he’s again on the move, this time to become a head coach again.

O’Brien brings significant experience as a head coach, having led both the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Houston Texans as a head coach in the past. His time in college came during the 2012 and 2013 seasons when Penn State was transitioning from the end of the Joe Paterno era. He had a 15-9 record during those seasons, which was considered a phenomenal job given the circumstances.

While with the Houston Texans, O’Brien compiled a 52-48 record with four AFC South titles in a little more than six seasons. Following his time there, O’Brien became the offensive coordinator at Alabama before returning to the NFL for a second stint with New England.

A Boston native, O’Brien has deep ties to the area, having gone to school at Brown. That was where he got his start in coaching before later spending six years with the Patriots in his two stints.

O’Brien takes over for Jeff Hafley, who left Boston College to become the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. That was considered a surprising move initially, given that he was stepping down from being a head coach to being a coordinator. However, he reportedly saw issues with NIL and the Transfer Portal as reasons to move on.

Hafley initially came to Boston College after being Ohio State’s defensive coordinator. In his four seasons there, Hafley compiled a 22-26 record, winning the Military Bowl in 2023.

Jeff Hafley releases statement after leaving Boston College

Following his decision to move from the Boston College Eagles to the Green Bay Packers, Jeff Hafley released a statement on the move.

“I loved my four years at Boston College,” Jeff Hafley said. “This is an exceptional place to coach given the caliber of student-athletes we recruit, the facilities, and the support from the University and BC fans. I will miss the players who gave so much of themselves these past four years, and my wife Gina and I will certainly miss the BC community and the many friends we have made here.”

On3’s Steve Samra contributed to this article.