Steve Sarkisian is off to Austin as the new head coach of the Texas Longhorns, and that move left Alabama looking for a new offensive coordinator who can call plays.
After some back-and-forth, the Crimson Tide landed on former Houston Texans and Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien.
The move was considered an odd one by some, but O’Brien is still highly respected as an offensive mind. His time as a head coach has seen plenty of ups and downs, but he should have plenty to work with in Tuscaloosa.
Let’s look a little bit at his past, though.
His most noteworthy success came in his five seasons under Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots. His first two seasons were as an analyst and wide receivers coach, but his final three years included being Tom Brady’s quarterbacks coach and eventual, his offensive coordinator.
The connection between Belichick and Alabama head coach Nick Saban is obvious, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to know that relationship factored into the decision to bring O’Brien in — similarly to when Brian Daboll was hired back in 2017.
There is also some recruiting incentives with O’Brien.
It’s always nice to have a former NFL head coach roaming your sidelines when it comes to attracting high-profile high school recruits. As of right now, Alabama has added two this offseason with O’Brien and new offensive line coach Doug Marrone.
But what about O’Brien success with quarterbacks since leaving New England and Brady? Well, Roll Tide Wire dove into the numbers for the top quarterback on each of O’Brien’s teams since he became a head coach in 2012.
The results were … interesting. Take a look for yourself.