Bill O’Brien had private {and professional} causes for making Boston College his vacation spot soccer job.
Eagles’ Athletic Director Blake James formally welcomed O’Brien, his spouse, Colleen, and son, Jack, into the BC group throughout a gathering contained in the Barber Room on the Yawkey Center on Thursday. O’Brien was launched as BC’s thirty seventh head soccer coach.
“This is a program that will do things the right way and can win and I can’t wait to get to work every day,” stated O’Brien. “I can’t wait to be around these guys, our coaching staff to try and get thing going in the right direction.”
O’Brien, 54, stated his cellphone “blew up a little bit” when phrase leaked out that BC coach Jeff Hafley was leaving the Heights after 4 seasons to develop into the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers.
O’Brien had simply resigned his place as offensive coordinator with the New England Patriots to develop into Ryan Day’s OC at Ohio State. O’Brien was in Columbus, Ohio, home looking together with his spouse when the BC job opened up.
Day, a former Eagles’ quarterbacks coach, briefly rescinded the job supply so O’Brien might pursue the emptiness at BC. Day subsequently employed UCLA head coach Chip Kelly to fill the place. In an added twist to the story, Hafley was Day’s defensive coordinator and secondary coach at OSU earlier than taking the BC job.
“The process started the next day and it was pretty quick, but the process was very thorough and it was a three-stage process,” stated O’Brien. “It was a really aggressive course of and I’m proud they employed me.
“Ryan Day was very good about this whole thing. Jeff Hafley did a really good job here and we have to build on that and we also need to build on what was done in the past here.”
O’Brien’s connections to the area and the establishment made BC a “no brainer” despite the fact that he had constructed a training portfolio that might have opened doorways at highest ranges of the NFL and FBS.
O’Brien grew up in Andover and performed soccer at St. John’s Prep in Danvers for legendary coach Jim O’Leary earlier than transferring on to Brown University. Colleen O’Brien is a BC alum (’92) and their grownup sons reside within the space. Current St. John’s coach and former BC quarterback Brian St. Pierre was a part of a gaggle of former BC gamers, coaches, boosters, members of the family and media that packed the auditorium.
“I think that is very important that me and my family are from here,” stated O’Brien. “I just think this is a great fit for my family and I. Colleen went to school here and Michael goes to Tufts. It is a nice fit and I look forward to getting started, really getting started.”
Hiring O’Brien created an instantaneous buzz across the BC soccer program, an accomplishment in and of itself in a professional sports activities city like Boston. James deserves an infinite quantity of credit score for attracting the very best out there candidate and getting the deal finished late within the hiring course of. James had been by means of this course of twice because the AD at Miami and he was in a position to land the man he needed with the backing of BC President Fr. William P. Leahy.
“We talked to college guys, NFL guys, head coaches, coordinators and assistant coaches and it was important for us to find the right person,” stated James. “I bear in mind after hanging up from my first dialog with Bill considering if it will get higher than this, we’re going to have an incredible coach. Bill was very spectacular from the beginning.
“I had the opportunity to hire a couple of football coaches before and anytime you do something, you learn things. I took things I learned from those processes and applied them here. We had a great search committee and great alignment throughout and we got the best person for the job and a great coach.”
O’Brien gained nationwide consideration when he took over as head coach at Penn State within the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal an returned the Nittany Lions’ program to respectability. O’Brien was the 2012 recipient of the Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year award and George Munger Award for Coach of the Year.
Brien additionally has in depth teaching expertise within the ACC. O’Brien served as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Georgia Tech, operating backs coach at Maryland and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Duke. He was in nationwide highlight once more as head coach of the Houston Texans and offensive coordinator beneath Nick Saban at Alabama.
O’Brien’s space of specialization is teaching and growing quarterbacks. At the NFL stage he labored with Tom Brady in New England and Deshaun Watson in Texas. He labored with 2021 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young at Alabama.
O’Brien is wanting ahead to working with BC quarterback Thomas Castellanos, a prototype ACC twin menace area common who piled up large passing and dashing stats final season.
“When you have a guy that can make off schedule plays, I think that is very important,” stated O’Brien. “Tommy is a good passer and he obviously can run the ball and we are looking forward to working with him.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com