Following the departure of longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, the New England Patriots were expected to seek the services of an experienced replacement from outside the organization.
One of the most prominent names discussed as a potential fit for the position was former Houston Texans head coach, current offensive coordinator of the Alabama Crimson Tide, and branch of the Bill Belichick coaching tree, Bill O’Brien.
Still, it was Belichick’s loyalty to another branch of that tree that may have derailed O’Brien’s return to New England.
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According to Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal. Belichick’s close relationship with Alabama head coach Nick Saban is likely to have prevented his request to interview O’Brien for the vacant offensive coordinator position.
“Finally got to the bottom of the Bill O’Brien mystery, and why he’s not back here as offensive coordinator,” Bedard wrote. “A) O’Brien made a two-year commitment to Saban. B) Belichick just wasn’t going to put Saban, his good friend, in the position of giving his blessing on O’Brien leaving. Sure, you and I can say it shouldn’t be that hard to pick up the phone and say, “Hey Nick, you can just tell me no and I’ll go away … but do you think you could stand to lose Billy?” That seems reasonable and follows the old adage of it never hurts to ask … but Belichick knew that wouldn’t be fair to put Saban in that position, so he didn’t touch it with a 10-foot pole. Now, don’t rule out O’Brien for next season if the Matt Patricia-Joe Judge plan does not work well.”
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Though he may be recently remembered for his struggles as both head coach and general manager of the Houston Texans, O’Brien is a quite accomplished offensive coach. He joined the Patriots in 2007 as an offensive assistant, before being promoted to wide receivers coach. Following McDaniels’ departure in 2008, O’Brien became the quarterbacks’ coach and offensive play-caller following the 2008 season. He was officially promoted to offensive coordinator in February 2011, before leaving the team after the 2012 season to accept the head coaching job at Penn State University.
O’Brien was the Patriots’ de-facto offensive coordinator for two years before getting the title in February 2011. Of course, the Patriots’ offense was led on the field by quarterback Tom Brady during that time period. Brady’s presence and prowess at the position helped to quell any uneasiness about the Pats’ offensive staff lacking a dedicated coordinator. With current Patriots quarterback Mac Jones entering only his second season at the helm of the Patriots’ offense, it would be unfair to expect the same level of leadership from the 23-year-old Alabama product.
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O’Brien’s with Penn State created an opportunity for him to become the head coach of the Texans in 2014. O’Brien led the Texans to three straight winning seasons, earning playoff berths in four of the 6.5 seasons in which he was at the helm. He compiled a 52-48 record overall. His tenure in Houston came to an end in 2020, when he was fired following an 0-4 start. O’Brien landed with the University of Alabama the following season, as offensive coordinator under Saban.
Based on the latest developments, he apparently is unlikely to be headed elsewhere until at least 2023.
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