Ohio State names former NFL head coach, Belichick assistant team’s new OC

Ohio State has named Bill O’Brien as its new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the school announced Friday.

O’Brien, who coached Penn State for two years following the firing of longtime coach Joe Paterno, served as offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots this season.

O’Brien, 54, is expected to have enough autonomy on offense to allow coach Ryan Day to step away from play-calling duties. Though Day named wide receivers coach Brian Hartline the team’s offensive coordinator a year ago, Day called plays.

‘He brings with him a wealth of knowledge – and a tremendous amount of success – at both the NFL and collegiate levels,’ Day said in a statement. ‘He is an excellent and experienced offensive coach who has run NFL and Power 5 programs and developed some truly elite players throughout his career. He’ll be an excellent teacher and recruiter for us, and he absolutely strengthens our staff.’

O’Brien will replace Corey Dennis on coach Ryan Day’s staff. Dennis, the son-in-law of former OSU coach Urban Meyer, has been the Buckeyes’ quarterbacks coach for the last four years. Dennis was on the road recruiting as recently as Wednesday.

A news release said it is anticipated that Dennis will transition into an undetermined role with the program. Hartline will be the co-offensive coordinator in addition to receivers coach.

O’Brien coached Penn State in 2012 and ’13 before he was hired as the Houston Texans’ head coach. He was there for seven years, leading the Texans to three playoff berths. He was fired when the team started 0-4 in 2020.

Nick Saban then hired him to be the Alabama offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In 2021, Alabama ranked sixth nationally in scoring, averaging 39.9 points. Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young won the Heisman Trophy that year under O’Brien’s tutelage. In 2022, the Crimson Tide ranked fourth nationally, averaging 41.1 points.

This year, he oversaw a Patriots offense that averaged only 13.9 points per game, tied with Carolina for worst in the league.

O’Brien is a Massachusetts native who played football at Brown. He began his coaching career at his alma mater before moving on to Georgia Tech, Maryland and Duke. His first NFL coaching job was with the Patriots. He was with the team for five years in that stint, advancing to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach working with Tom Brady. In O’Brien’s final year, the Patriots lost in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

He was then hired by Penn State to succeed Paterno, who’d been fired in the aftermath of a sexual abuse scandal involving defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

O’Brien was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2012 for leading the Nittany Lions to an 8-4 record while the program was reeling from the Sandusky scandal and the sanctions caused by it.