One of the big remaining college football jobs has reportedly been filled by a major name.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Thursday night that Ohio State football has hired former Penn State coach and New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to be its next offensive coordinator.
As the Buckeyes figure out a plan to try and meaningfully contend for a national title with Ryan Day at the helm, hiring a veteran coach like O’Brien is the kind of major move that signals a seriousness to make those results better sooner than later.
Well, if you think O’Brien is the right guy for the job, that is.
Sources: Ohio State is set to hire longtime NFL head coach Bill O’Brien as the school’s new offensive coordinator. O’Brien served last season as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator in 2023 and has been the head coach at the Texans and in the Big Ten at Penn State. pic.twitter.com/19e2iXv6oe
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 19, 2024
While he found success in various stops, O’Brien has become one of the more polarizing figures in football and is coming off a dreadful year in New England leading the Patriots offense.
While O’Brien has found positive results at the college level, fans were very skeptical this move would do much to help the Buckeyes separate themselves from the pack (and the Michigan Wolverines).