Ohio State Reportedly Hiring Bill O’Brien As Offensive Coordinator

Ohio State is hiring a former NFL and Big Ten head coach as its new offensive coordinator.

Bill O’Brien, the former head coach of Penn State and the Houston Texans who was the New England Patriots’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach this past season, is joining Ohio State as its new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Sources: Ohio State is set to hire longtime NFL head coach Bill OBrien as the schools new offensive coordinator. OBrien 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

O’Brien brings three decades of coaching experience to Ohio State, including several successful stints as an offensive coordinator at both the NFL and collegiate levels. Before becoming the Patriots’ offensive coordinator in 2023, O’Brien was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for two years at Alabama, where Bryce Young won the Heisman Trophy under his tutelage in 2021.

Bill O’Brien’s Coaching History

Years

Team

Title

1993

Brown

Tight Ends Coach

1994

Brown

Inside Linebackers Coach

1995-97

Georgia Tech

Graduate Assistant

1998-2000

Georgia Tech

Running Backs Coach

2001-02

Georgia Tech

Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach

2003-04

Maryland

Running Backs Coach

2005-06

Duke

Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach

2007

New England Patriots

Offensive Assistant

2008

New England Patriots

Wide Receivers Coach

2009-10

New England Patriots

Quarterbacks Coach

2011

New England Patriots

Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach

2012-13

Penn State

Head Coach

2014-20

Houston Texans

Head Coach

2021-22

Alabama

Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach

2023

New England Patriots

Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach

2024-

Ohio State

Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach

While his most recent stint with the Patriots was unsuccessful, as New England tied for last in the NFL with only 13.9 points per game in 2023, the Patriots’ offenses consistently ranked among the league’s most prolific in his previous stint with the team from 2007-11, which included one year as offensive coordinator in 2011, a season in which the Patriots won the AFC championship before losing in Super Bowl XLVI.

O’Brien went 15-9 as the head coach at Penn State in 2012 and 2013 despite NCAA sanctions against the program that included a postseason ban and reduction of scholarships in both seasons. He then became the Houston Texans’ head coach in 2014, leading them to four AFC South titles in six seasons before he was fired in 2020.

Given his experience, O’Brien is likely to function as a “head coach for the offense,” much like Jim Knowles does for Ohio State’s defense. He’s expected to take over offensive play-calling duties, allowing Ryan Day to take on a CEO role after calling the offensive plays himself for his first five years as head coach.

O’Brien is also expected to have input on how the rest of the offensive staff is constructed, opening up the possibility that there could be additional staff changes on the offensive side of the ball. Brian Hartline, who held the title of offensive coordinator last year, is expected to remain on staff as co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. Corey Dennis, Ohio State’s quarterbacks coach for the past four seasons, is not expected to remain on staff.

O’Brien becomes the second new hire for Ohio State’s 2024 coaching staff, joining Matt Guerrieri, who replaced Perry Eliano as safeties coach. Ohio State still has another vacancy on its coaching staff which is expected to be filled by another defensive assistant – likely a second defensive line coach – after the Buckeyes fired special teams coordinator Parker Fleming.