Vincent Frank
As the NFL coaching situation changes on a near-hourly basis, a familiar name could return to the league. Bill O’Brien has received at least some attention as a potential head-coach candidate after spending last season as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
While it’s highly unlikely that the former Houston Texans head coach will land a similar job this cycle, he could potentially be headed back to the New England Patriots.
Current Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is slated to interview for the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach job. At this point, it seems to be an extreme likelihood that McDaniels will be headed to Sin City.
If so, O’Brien’s name continues to come up as a potential replacement for McDaniels in New England. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notably pointed to that possibility aftter news that McDaniels could be hired by Vegas.
Related: Top NFL head coach candidates
Bill O’Brien back to the New England Patriots?
This would be yet another coaching coup for the legendary Bill Belichick. O’Brien, 52, served under Belichick in New England from 2007-2011. He started as an offensive assistant before being promoted to wide receivers coach (2008) and quarterbacks coach (2009-10). He served as the Pats’ offensive coordinator in 2011.
Immediately after that, O’Brien did a tremendous job replacing Joe Paterno in Penn State following the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
More recently, O’Brien was the Houston Texans’ head coach from 2014-2020 — boasting a nice amount of success in that role before struggling as the team’s general manager. During his time in Houston, the Texans earned four playoff appearances. Overall, he posted a 52-48 record in that role.
Of course, this is all about the Belichick-Saban connection. After being fired by Houston during the 2020 season, Bill O’Brien latched on as the Crimson Tide offensive coordinator last season. In doing so, he helped lead the team to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game while while assisting in quarterback Bryce Young winning the Heisman Trophy.
If O’Brien is brought back to New England to replace McDaniels, this connection would come full circle. Former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones put up one heck of a rookie season in 2021 — surprisingly leading the Pats to a playoff appearance.
A native of Dorchester, MA, O’Brien would likely welcome a return to the Patriots. After all, Foxborough is about a 45-minute drive from his home town.
