Boston College’s Director of Athletics, Blake James, announced today that Bill O’Brien has accepted the position as the Gregory P. Barber ’69 and Family Head Coach of the BC football program. O’Brien, a former head coach of Penn State and the Houston Texans, will be introduced to the media and campus community on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. inside the Barber Room on the second floor of the Yawkey Athletics Center.
O’Brien becomes the 37th head coach in Boston College history, arriving at the Heights from Ohio State, where he was recently named the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
“I am thrilled to welcome Bill O’Brien, his wife Colleen, and his sons Jack and Michael to Boston College,” said 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 on and off the field, and who will work tirelessly to elevate BC Football.”
James added, “Bill is a gifted leader who has had a tremendous amount of success as a head coach and coordinator at both the collegiate and NFL levels. His passion for teaching football and developing young men make him a great fit to lead Boston College to greater heights.”
A 32-year coaching veteran in the college and professional ranks, O’Brien was elevated to his first head coaching post at Penn State in 2012. He guided the Nittany Lions to an overall record of 15-9 and 10-6 Big Ten mark during the span of two seasons while directing the program through a postseason ban. He was named the head coach of the NFL’s Houston Texans in 2014, leading the franchise to a 52-48 record, four AFC South Division titles, and four playoff appearances – including two Wild Card round wins – between 2014 and 2020.
While with Penn State, O’Brien was recognized in 2012 with a pair of national coaching awards – the Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year, and the George Munger Award for Coach of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club. The Nittany Lions’ eight wins in 2012 were the most by a first-year head coach in Penn State history, earning O’Brien Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.
O’Brien returned to the NFL in 2014 as the head coach of the Houston Texans, posting five winning seasons, including back-to-back double-digit win seasons in 2018 (11-5) and 2019 (10-6).
After his time in Houston, O’Brien returned to the college game as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Alabama under Nick Saban in 2021 and 2022. He mentored Heisman Trophy winning QB Bryce Young and helped the Crimson Tide reach the College Football Playoff national championship game in 2021.
O’Brien’s extensive coaching career also includes six years across two stints on Bill Belichick’s staff with the New England Patriots, where he contributed to two AFC titles and appearances in Super Bowl XLII and XLVI.
Before entering the NFL, O’Brien gained 14 years of experience at the collegiate level, including 12 years in the ACC.
Originally from Dorchester, Mass., O’Brien played linebacker and defensive end at Brown University and graduated with a double concentration in political science and organizational behavioral management in 1992.
O’Brien and his wife, Colleen, have two sons, Jack and Michael.
