Boston College Athletic Director Blake James introduced on Friday afternoon that Bill O’Brien has been named the college’s thirty seventh head soccer coach.
O’Brien, 54, will likely be formally launched at a information convention on Thursday at 11 a.m. contained in the Barber Room on the Yawkey Center.
O’Brien has shut ties to the area and BC. O’Brien grew up in Andover and performed soccer at St. John’s Prep in Danvers and Brown University. O’Brien’s spouse, Colleen, is a BC alum and their grownup sons reside within the space.
“I am thrilled to welcome Bill O’Brien, his wife Colleen, and his sons Jack and Michael to Boston College,” mentioned James. “When we embarked on this search, we prioritized finding a coach who believes in our mission and vision, who has a plan for greatness and work tirelessly to elevate BC football.”
The phrases of O’Brien’s deal weren’t launched, however there was hypothesis that it will embody a base wage at $5 million and be again loaded with incentives. BC can simply cowl the expense as a result of its TV soccer bundle deal is projected to usher in $37 million in 2024, $39.6 million in 2025 and $54 million in 2026. BC is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Athletic departments throughout FBS have seen their administrative prices soar by means of unrestricted use of the switch portal and direct financial funds to the coed athletes by means of Name, Image, and Likeness.
BC has numerous catching as much as do on each fronts and O’Brien will doubtless have a supervisory position in its administration. O’Brien’s first order of enterprise is to assemble his teaching employees and have a framework for this system in place when spring soccer begins in mid-March. BC opens the season at reigning ACC champion Florida State on Labor Day.
“Bill is a gifted leader who has a tremendous amount of success as a head coach and coordinator at both the collegiate and NFL levels,” mentioned James. “His passion for teaching and developing young men made him a great fit to lead Boston College to greater heights.”
O’Brien was the New England Patriots’ offensive coordinator final season however left to develop into the offensive coordinator on Ryan Day’s employees at Ohio State. Day is a former quarterbacks coach at BC.
O’Brien put the Buckeyes on maintain when Jeff Hafley left BC after 4 seasons to develop into the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. UCLA head coach Chip Kelly has resigned his place to develop into Day’s offensive coordinator at OSU. Kelly and Notre Dame defensive position coach and BC alum Al Washington had been rumored to have been interviewed throughout the search course of.
Hafley was underneath stress to safe a minimal of eight wins this previous season, however the Eagles completed at 6-6 by closing out the marketing campaign with three straight losses.
Hafley salvaged the season with an upset victory over No. 24 Southern Methodist within the Wasabi Fenway Bowl on Dec. 28 at Fenway Park. But Hafley would have begun the 2024 season on the recent seat and BC performs a frightening slate of ACC and non-league video games, an unnerving set of circumstances that facilitated his return to the NFL.
Former BC Athletic Director Patrick Kraft tendered Hafley a five-year extension on Nov. 29, 2021, by means of the 2026 season and he made a reported $3,120,012 final 12 months. It may have value BC as much as $12 million to purchase Hafley out of his present contract.
O’Brien’s made his repute working with NFL quarterbacks, most notably Tom Brady with New England and former Clemson standout Deshaun Watson with the Houston Texans. He additionally labored with Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young whereas on Nick Saban’s employees at Alabama in 2021 and 2022.
BC is about on the quarterback place. Sophomore Thomas Castellanos, a twin menace switch from Central Florida, was the lynchpin of the Eagles’ offense final season. Castellanos appeared in 12 video games, with 11 begins, and emerged as some of the productive discipline generals within the ACC.
Castellanos completed the common season third within the nation in dashing yards by a quarterback with 957 and tied the college’s QB file with 11 dashing touchdowns. On the passing facet, Castellanos accomplished 178-of-312 throws for two,146 yards with 13 picks and 15 touchdowns. In BC’s 23-14 win over SMU, Castellanos rushed for 156 yards on 21 carries with two touchdowns.
O’Brien bought his first head teaching job at Penn State within the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal and 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 intensive teaching expertise within the ACC. O’Brien served as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Georgia Tech, working backs coach at Maryland and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Duke.
O’Brien’s NFL expertise included a earlier stint with the Patriots from 2007-11 and as head coach of the Houston Texans from 2013-20.
Source: www.bostonherald.com