Former Penn State and Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien has reportedly been hired as the new offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Pete Thamel Thursday (January 18) night.
O'Brien, 54, spent the past three seasons working as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, first at Alabama from 2021 to 2022 and later returning the New England Patriots in 2023, having previously held several offensive roles from 2007 to 2011, including the same two positions during the final year of his initial tenure.
"Sources: Ohio State is set to hire longtime NFL head coach Bill O’Brien as the school’s new offensive coordinator. O’Brien 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," Thamel wrote on his X account.
O'Brien rose through the coaching ranks during his first tenure in New England, which included leading the Patriots offense during its 2011 AFC championship season. The Massachusetts native was far less successful, however, during his return in 2023, with New England ranking 31st among all 32 NFL teams in scoring offense (13.9 points per game) and 30th in total offense (276.2 yards per game).
O'Brien succeeded longtime head coach Joe Paterno following his dismissal in 2012 after an investigation into a child sex abuse scandal involving former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky determined Paterno concealed information related to Sandusy's abuse of a young boy. The Nittany Lions went 15-9 (10-6 Big Ten) record during two seasons under O'Brien, despite a four-year postseason ban and loss of 40 scholarships in a four-year period stemming from the child sex abuse scandal that predated his tenure.
O'Brien went 52-48 during seven seasons with the Texans, which included making the postseason four times.
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