Alabama soccer wants a brand new offensive coordinator.
Bill O’Brien, who joined the Crimson Tide forward of the 2021 season, would be the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, in accordance with a number of media retailers. ESPN was the primary to report the transfer. O’Brien’s contract with UA was set to run out on the finish of February.
O’Brien, a Massachusetts native, returns to the Patriots for whom he served as an assistant coach from 2007-2010 and offensive coordinator in 2011. Now, he could have an opportunity to work with former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones in New England.
During his time in Tuscaloosa, O’Brien additionally served as quarterbacks coach. Under his instruction, quarterback Bryce Young gained the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore in 2021.
O’Brien has been a preferred lightning rod for criticism from followers for his play-calling, although. The noise grew even louder in his second season. The offense struggled at occasions in 2022 to be constant and create large performs, nevertheless it nonetheless managed to be a top-10 scoring offense. It completed the common season tied for the No. 4 scoring offense within the nation, averaging 40.8 factors per sport.
In O’Brien’s first season because the play-caller, the Crimson Tide averaged 39.9 factors per sport, which ranked sixth amongst FBS groups. Alabama earned 488.3 yards per sport, which ranked eighth nationally. The Crimson Tide reached the College Football Playoff Championship, the place it fell to Georgia.
After a loss to LSU in November, Alabama coach Nick Saban was requested to evaluate the job O’Brien had carried out with the offense.
“I’m not going to research someone publicly, good, dangerous or detached,” Saban stated. “We’re all working onerous collectively. We’re all answerable for what we do. Do we have to play higher on each side of the ball? Absolutely.”
O’Brien joined the Crimson Tide after the Houston Texans fired him in October 2020. He had served as common supervisor and coach of the franchise for whom he completed with a 52-48 document. He was hired by the Texans in 2014.
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O’Brien was reportedly in rivalry for different jobs on the finish of the 2021 season, however he stayed in Tuscaloosa for one more season.
“I made a dedication to Coach Saban,” O’Brien stated in the beginning of 2022 preseason practices. “Those issues come up relative to what your function is in several packages, the place you have been. I’ve been doing this a very long time and I’ve had varied roles in teaching, so clearly, these issues come up. But I made a dedication to Coach Saban. I like teaching right here. The gamers, the teaching workers, it has been – like I stated within the opening assertion right here – it has been a very good expertise. I’ve realized loads. I’m very appreciative of Coach for giving me this chance.”
Prior to his time in Houston, O’Brien coached Penn State. He was the primary coach of the Nittany Lions after Joe Paterno. For his efforts in State College, O’Brien gained Big Ten coach of the yr, ESPN nationwide coach of the yr, and Paul “Bear” Bryant faculty coach of the yr in 2012. He completed 8-4 that yr, contemporary off the fallout of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. No coach had extra wins in his first yr at Penn State than O’Brien.
In the school ranks, he additionally made stops at Duke, Maryland, Georgia Tech and Brown, the place he performed in faculty.
Over the course of his teaching profession, O’Brien has had the chance to work for 2 of the best soccer coaches of all time in Saban and Bill Belichick.
“I respect the hell out of each of them,” O’Brien stated in December 2021, “and I’m grateful for the chance that I’ve had.”