Boston College has hired Bill O’Brien as its next coach, the university announced Friday. O’Brien replaces Jeff Hafley, who abruptly left his post after four seasons to become the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator. O’Brien was named the new offensive coordinator at Ohio State in mid-January, but the Boston native now sets his sights on Chestnut Hill to fill an unexpected vacancy for the Eagles.
The Buckeyes, meanwhile, are expected to name Chip Kelly as their new offensive coordinator after Kelly left UCLA on Friday afternoon.
“When we embarked on this search, we prioritized finding a coach who believes in our mission and vision, who has a plan for greatness on and off the field, and who will work tirelessly to elevate BC Football,” said athletic director Blake James in a statement. “Bill is a gifted leader who has had a tremendous amount of success as a head coach and coordinator at both the collegiate and NFL levels. His passion for teaching football and developing young men make him a great fit to lead Boston College to greater heights.”
O’Brien heads back to the Boston area after spending the 2023 season as offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, where he was previously on staff from 2007-11 during the Tom Brady era. It is his first time back in the college game since serving as Alabama offensive coordinator from 2021-22, and it’s his second stint as a college coach after guiding Penn State out of the Joe Paterno era from 2012-13. O’Brien was 15-9 in his two seasons leading the Nittany Lions.
O’Brien also has more extensive head-coaching experience in the NFL with the Houston Texans from 2014-2020. He went 52-48 throughout his tenure prior to a midseason firing in 2020. He led the the franchise to four AFC South championships, though Houston never went further than the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs.
Although O’Brien never coached a game with the Buckeyes, this is the second straight coaching search for Boson College to end with the Eagles poaching an Ohio State assistant. Hafley served as the Buckeyes’ co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach in 2019 before taking the Boston College job in time for the 2020 campaign.
What it means for O’Brien, Boston College
Boston College lands a coach who knows the Northeast well and has a strong track record working with quarterbacks. Beyond his overlap with Brady while on staff with the…
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