He’s again.
The Patriots and Bill O’Brien have reached phrases making him their subsequent offensive coordinator, a supply confirmed to the Herald.
O’Brien’s rent follows a short teaching search the workforce introduced two weeks in the past with an unprecedented public assertion. O’Brien beat out Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley and three exterior assistants who as soon as performed on Bill Belichick-coached groups. O’Brien, 53, was lengthy thought-about the favourite in New England, the place he coached from 2007-11 and was the workforce’s final offensive coordinator earlier than Josh McDaniels.
According to a league supply, there was robust inside perception final week O’Brien could be employed. He reportedly interviewed by way of video convention on Thursday, and the Patriots completed their search final Friday.
O’Brien arrives after spending the previous two years because the offensive coordinator on the University of Alabama. Under Belichick confidant Nick Saban, he coached quarterback Bryce Young to a Heisman Trophy and helped the Crimson Tide to the nationwide championship sport in January 2022. Last season, Alabama’s offense averaged 41.4 factors per sport, the fourth-most in main faculty soccer.
O’Brien’s return ought to restore a way of normalcy to the Patriots offense. Last yr, Matt Patricia, whose teaching background is totally on protection, served because the workforce’s de facto offensive coordinator, and the Patriots averaged 18.1 offensive factors per sport. The Pats completed 8-9 and with their worst offense since 1995 by Football Outsiders’ opponent-and-situation-adjusted metric, DVOA.
Patricia additionally coached the workforce’s offensive line, which allowed 41 sacks, the eighth-most within the league. His future in New England is unsure, in accordance with a supply. First-year quarterbacks coach Joe Judge got here beneath comparable scrutiny throughout the season after working as a particular groups coordinator and failed head coach with the Giants.
Under Judge, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones regressed statistically from a powerful rookie marketing campaign in 2021. Jones additionally mentioned he needed to be coached tougher after a troublesome loss to Buffalo on Dec. 1.
O’Brien might coach the workforce’s quarterbacks shifting ahead, one thing he did over his final three seasons in New England. Under O’Brien’s direct tutelage from 2009-11, former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady made three straight Pro Bowls, one All-Pro workforce and gained his second MVP award. The Patriots offense additionally completed sixth, first and third in scoring throughout these seasons when O’Brien referred to as offensive performs.
O’Brien later helped develop three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson and took Texans groups led by quarterbacks Brock Osweiler and Brian Hoyer to the playoffs.
Belichick’s search seems to substantiate studies that O’Brien was the first goal from the beginning. No different candidate — Caley, Vikings vast receivers coach Keenan McCardell, Cardinals affiliate head coach/vast receivers coach Shawn Jefferson or University of Oregon affiliate head coach Adrian Klemm — has expertise as an offensive coordinator or head coach. Before his hiring at Alabama, O’Brien gained 4 division titles in seven years because the Texans’ head coach and coached at Penn State from 2012-13.
O’Brien briefly overlapped with Jones at Alabama in spring 2021. As Jones ready for the NFL Draft, he reportedly answered questions O’Brien had concerning the Crimson Tide’s offense contained in the workforce’s facility. O’Brien later advised reporters Jones was of nice assist, contemplating it was the primary time in additional than a decade he was educating a brand new system.
“I had a lot of people help me, people that were here before, guys on the coaching staff, obviously Bryce [Young]. I’ve said before, Mac Jones, when he was working out for the draft, helped me a little bit, which was great,” O’Brien mentioned earlier than the 2021 Cotton Bowl. “So I’m really thankful to those people. That was the most challenging thing because I had been involved with an offense for 10 to 15 years, whatever it was, similar offense. But when you come here, you’re running Alabama’s offense; you’re not bringing your offense in here.”
It’s anticipated O’Brien will put his personal spin on the system the Patriots ran final yr, a mix of McDaniels’ offense and a pared-down Shanahan-style scheme.
ESPN first reported O’Brien’s hiring.
Source: www.bostonherald.com