Bill O’Brien is reportedly replacing Ryan Day’s Ohio State football staff as OC.
According to sources, the move could result in a change in the OSU program, as coach Ryan Day is believed to have spent a portion of this offseason considering the hiring of a more experienced coordinator who could relieve him of playcalling responsibilities.
With notable accomplishments as a play-caller and quarterback developer at both the collegiate and NFL levels, O’Brien was appointed offensive coordinator by the New England Patriots in 2023.
O’Brien is the offensive coach at Ohio State. During his tenure at Alabama, he coached Bryce Young, Tom Brady, and Deshaun Watson during certain of their most successful seasons.
Under O’Brien, Alabama ranked in the top ten in scoring offense in both of his seasons as coordinator (averaging 39.9 and 41.1 goals per game, respectively) and Young won the Heisman Trophy in 2021.
The offense of Ohio State decreased from 44.2 points per game in 2016 to 30.5 points each game this season.
O’Brien led the Texans to a losing streak of five games and qualified for the playoffs four times during his seven years as NFL head coach (2014-2020).
Following a 0–4 start in 2020, he was terminated from his position, concluding his tenure with a record of 52–48.
Further, O’Brien possesses Big Ten experience in his capacity as head coach. In two seasons since succeeding Joe Paterno at Penn State in 2012, he recorded a 15-9 record.
During his tenure at Penn State, he established a steadying presence and was a formidable recruiter amidst the repercussions of Jerry Sandusky’s scandals.
In 2010, Brady and O’Brien, who served as quarterbacks coach, were named NFL MVP. In the absence of an offensive play-caller being listed for that season, O’Brien assumed the official role of offensive coordinator the subsequent season.
Day has initiated substantial modifications to the program after a losing streak of two games and three consecutive defeats at the hands of Michigan to conclude the 2023 season. A pair of assistant coaches, safety coach Perry Eliano as well as football coach Parker Fleming, were not rehired by Ohio State.
Following the conclusion of Ohio State’s regular season, the program has acquired several prominent players through the transfer system and a plethora of draft-eligible athletes returning for a second season, both of which indicate that the institution’s collective is prepared to make substantial investments.
On the offensive side, those returning for a fourth season are star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, tailback TreVeyon Henderson, and guard Donovan Jackson.
Before the previous season, each player was considered to be seriously contemplating a career in the NFL.
Last season, the Ohio State Buckeyes (11-2) ranked 25th nationally in yards per play (6.38), their lowest performance since 2016.
At the helm of the Texans for seven seasons, O’Brien, 54, was 52-48 from 2014 to 2020 while collaborating with quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Ohio State suffered its third consecutive loss to Michigan before falling in its bowl game against Missouri while operating as a third-string quarterback in the wake of starter Kyle McCord’s transfer and backup Devin Brown’s injury.
Before that, he spent two seasons as the head coach at Penn State, replacing Joe Paterno and guiding the squad to a 15-9 record while it dealt with serious NCAA sanctions in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
Two years after being fired by the Texans, O’Brien returned to college and assumed the position of offensive coordinator under Nick Saban at Alabama. In 2021, he coached the Heisman Trophy victor Bryce Young.
As offensive coordinator, O’Brien returned to the NFL as well as the New England Patriots for the 2018-19 season.
From 2007 to 2011, he was employed by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for the first time. From 2009 to 2011, he served as quarterbacks instructor for Tom Brady.
Thamel claims that by becoming a member of Ryan Day’s staff, Day will be able to relinquish his play-calling duties on game day.
As the quarterback coordinator with the New England Pats in 2023, O’Brien oversaw one of the worst offenses in the National Football League.
Before joining the Patriots, he oversaw the offensive operations at Alabama for two seasons, during which he assisted Bryce Young in achieving the Heisman Trophy.