Bill O'Brien accepts Boston College head coaching job after short Buckeyes stint
COLUMBUS — Bill O’Brien accepted the Boston College head coaching job Friday. O’Brien became the new Ohio State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach last month.
O’Brien is from Boston. His wife, Colleen, went to BC. And he started his coaching career at Brown, where he previously played defensive end and linebacker.
O’Brien is replacing Jeff Hafley, who surprisingly left BC to become the new defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 31. Hafley, co-DC and defensive backs coach for an Ohio State defense that ranked fourth in points per game allowed in 2019, spent four years (2020-23) at BC, compiling an up-and-down resume with three bowl-eligible seasons but a record of 22-26.
O’Brien’s stay with Ohio State lasted only 21 days.
He did play a part in Ohio State securing the transfer of Julian Sayin, the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 2 overall quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, who O’Brien originally recruited when he was Alabama’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2021-22.
O’Brien joined the Buckeyes after the second of his two stints with the New England Patriots, for which he most recently served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2023.
From 2012-20, he was a head coach. O’Brien first replaced Joe Paterno and helped Penn State right its ship in the wake of Jerry Sandusky’s crimes. Then he went back to the NFL and coached the Houston Texans to four AFC South division titles and playoff appearances.
O’Brien also has significant experience coordinating offenses that dates back to the early 2000s when he was at Georgia Tech.
Here are his OC gigs after that:
- Duke OC/QBs coach (2005-06)
- New England Patriots OC/QBs coach (2011)
- Alabama OC/QBs coach (2021-22)
- New England Patriots OC/QBs coach (2023)
In 2010, O’Brien was Tom Brady’s quarterbacks coach when he won his second NFL MVP award. O’Brien also helped Penn State quarterbacks Matt McGloin and Christian Hackenberg as well as Deshaun Watson (with the Houston Texans) and Bryce Young (at Alabama) each have either the best season or one of the best seasons of their careers.
The Ohio State job wasn’t out of O’Brien’s wheelhouse. After all, it was similar to the gig he had at Alabama, where he coordinated an offense that averaged 39.9 points per game in 2021 and 41.1 points per game in 2022. The first of those two years, the Crimson Tide reached the national title game. The second, they missed the College Football Playoff, but they finished tied for fourth nationally in scoring, and Young won the Heisman Trophy.
Now, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day will have to find a new offensive coordinator — and maybe, separately, a new quarterbacks coach as well.
The Buckeyes offense plummeted from its usual top-10 standing to 45th in points per game (30.5) this past season. In Day’s seven years at Ohio State, the Buckeyes have scored 20 or fewer points five times, and three of those games took place this past season.
There was a need for change this offseason.
O’Brien was going to be that change. Not anymore. He’s heading home to coach BC.
