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Here’s what Bill Belichick said about hiring Bill O’Brien as Patriots OC

8/8/22 MFB Alabama Alabama Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach Bill O'Brien OBrien Photo by Rodger Champion
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It’s official.

On Thursday, the Patriots announced that they had hired Bill O’Brien as the team’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The veteran coach was officially back with the team this week. MassLive was told that he was hired on Tuesday and started working with the coaching staff.

O’Brien returns to New England after starting his NFL career with the Patriots. He worked under Bill Belichick from 2007-2011. O’Brien started as a coaching assistant. He worked his way up to receivers coach, quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator.

“I am looking forward to working with Bill again,” Belichick said in Thursday’s statement. “He is an outstanding coach and an asset to our staff.”

O’Brien’s also from Massachusetts. He grew up in Andover and went to Brown University where he played as a linebacker and defensive end. After starting his coaching career at Brown, O’Brien went to Georgia Tech, Maryland and Duke before arriving in New England.

In his final year with the Patriots, that 2011 offense finished the season ranked third in the NFL in points scored and second overall in yards gained. O’Brien left to become the head coach at Penn State in 2012. After going 15-9, he became the head coach of the Houston Texans. O’Brien was there for seven NFL seasons, going 52-48 before being fired in 2020. The coach brought Houston to the playoffs four times.

O’Brien spent the past two years at the University of Alabama as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator. Although he didn’t coach Mac Jones, the Patriots quarterback met O’Brien in the spring of 2021 before being drafted by the Patriots.

Now, O’Brien will attempt to get Jones and the Patriots offense back on track. After Josh McDaniels left for Las Vegas, Belichick put Matt Patricia in charge of play calling and Joe Judge in charge of the quarterbacks. The experiment ultimately failed with the offense finishing 17th in points scored and 26th in yards gained.

O’Brien will be with the Patriots coaching staff out in Las Vegas as they coach at the East-West Shrine game, which is a collegiate all-star game.

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