Bill O’Brien, the former Penn State football coach and recent offensive coordinator for Ohio State, will not return to Beaver Stadium next season as anticipated. Instead, he has accepted the position of head coach at Boston College, replacing Jeff Hafley, who departed to become the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers.
O’Brien, a Massachusetts native, spent the previous season as the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. The move to Boston College allows him to take on a head coaching role while remaining close to his family, who planned to live in Boston during his time in Columbus.
This development means O’Brien will not face Ohio State at Beaver Stadium on Nov. 2. He takes charge of a Boston College team that posted a 7-6 record last season, finishing ninth in the ACC and securing a victory over SMU in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
This marks O’Brien’s third stint as a head coach, following a successful tenure at Penn State, where he went 15-9 in two seasons during challenging times due to sanctions. In 2012, he earned national coach-of-the-year awards for leading the Nittany Lions to an 8-4 record. O’Brien later left to become the head coach of the Houston Texans.
After seven seasons with the Texans and various roles elsewhere, including a return to the New England Patriots as an offensive coordinator, O’Brien briefly joined Ohio State before the opportunity at Boston College arose. His swift move prompted Ohio State coach Ryan Day to mention contingency plans during a Signing Day media session in Columbus.