American Football

Boston College hires Bill O’Brien as next head coach

February 11, 2024

Buffalo Bills v New England Patriots — Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

O’Brien departed the Patriots three weeks ago.

Update 2/9/2024: Boston College hires Bill O’Brien as next head coach

Bill O’Brien joining Boston College is official. As the school announced on Friday, the ex-Patriots offensive coordinator will become the 37th head coach in program history.

It’s a Great Day to be an Eagle!

Former National Coach of the Year and Massachusetts native, Bill O’Brien, has been named the 37th Head Coach in Boston College Football history. Welcome to the Heights!

Tickets: https://t.co/eJXx4ji0Ib
More Info : https://t.co/yLaqakEYq3 pic.twitter.com/yWUDBac12p

— Boston College Eagles (@BCEagles) February 9, 2024

Original story 2/9/2024: Boston College expected to hire Bill O’Brien as next head coach

Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien will be leaving the Patriots, but he won’t be leaving New England.

After officially parting ways with the Patriots three weeks ago, O’Brien was set to join Ohio State as the program’s offensive coordinator. Now, however, O’Brien will reportedly remain in the area as he will become the next head coach of Boston College, as New England Football Journal’s Kevin Stone first reported.

The job with the Eagles was not available when O’Brien initially left to join the Buckeyes. It wasn’t until BC’s head coach Jeff Hafley left last week to take the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator job.

O’Brien quickly became the favorite for the position and now heads to Chestnut Hill where he can remain close to home. O’Brien grew up north of the city in Andover and one of his sons, Michael, plays college baseball at Tufts University. His wife, Colleen, is a Boston College graduate.

ESPN reported his family had planned to stay in the area as O’Brien worked in Columbus.

“I’m from here,” O’Brien told reporters last season. “My family lives here, my wife went to Boston College. Very familiar with the area so, you know all of that played into our decision as a family to come back here. I think that was the big thing, it wasn’t about one person, it was about the whole package so to speak.”

This will mark O’Brien’s third head coaching role and second at the collegiate level as he led Penn State from 2012-13. He’ll now take over a program that went 7-6 last season and won it’s first bowl game since 2016.

The Patriots, meanwhile, conducted an extensive search to take over for O’Brien that ended with Alex Van Pelt being named the team’s offensive coordinator.