Bill O'Brien rumors: Alabama OC emerges as 'primary candidate' for NFL job, per report
Bill O’Brien has worked with both Bill Belichick and Nick Saban — 2 of the greatest coaches in the history of football — during his career.
For the past 2 seasons, O’Brien has served as Saban’s offensive coordinator at Alabama. From 2007 to 2011, O’Brien was on Belichick’s staff with the New England Patriots.
Now, according to Tom Curran of NBC Sports, O’Brien has emerged as the top candidate to take over as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator in 2023:
The primary target is former Patriots OC, former Penn State and Texans head coach, former Alabama OC Bill O’Brien. There is unanimity on all sides that O’Brien’s the best person for the job and — while there are other candidates with merit — the familiarity ownership and Mac Jones have with O’Brien and O’Brien’s willingness to return mean it would be an upset if he doesn’t get the job.
Under O’Brien in 2022, Alabama finished with the nation’s No. 4 scoring offense, tied with Georgia at 41.1 points per game. The Tide also finished 11th in yards per game, averaging 477.2 yards per contest.
DC Pete Golding left for Ole Miss recently, so if O’Brien leaves, too, Saban will have 2 coordinator roles to fill before 2023. We’ll see what the future holds in Tuscaloosa as rumors about O’Brien continue to swirl.
Alabama finish fourth in scoring offense and some fans can’t wait to get rid of BOB. Brilliant thinking.
Interesting, guess he should have outscored everyone regardless of how bad the defense was, quite the underachiever…yes?
Bama has higher standards than BoB.
If you say so…
Let’s see where the offense finishes next season. I’m doubting that it’s higher than fourth.
I am not sure if Bama will finish that high either. That also wont be a fair comparison considering we had Bryce this year and next year is a huge question mark.
BoB is a NFL guy and always will be. There is a reason his contract was for only two years.
” Bama has higher standards than BoB. ”
Wrong!!! Since the last 3 QBs Tua, Jones and Bryce Young your so-called standards moved a little. Considering you had a stretch of some of the best receivers to ever play together who just happened through Tuscaloosa!!!!!!!! Now suddenly you think there is some standard!!!!!!!
Until then Alabama was cursed with average at best game managers. That once relied upon elite defense to win games!!!! The only standard on offense then was your standard game manager at QB!!!!!!!
Negan
Must be why Hurts, Tua and Jones must have the best receivers in the NFL now using that logic. Why then would Bryce be the first QB taken in the draft if your point is valid? It isn’t.
Did you see his play calls during the last drive of the Tennessee game? Where they were just barely in field goal range? So, instead of running the ball, making the kick a wee bit easier, and most importantly, taking time off the clock, BoB decides to throw the ball 3 times in a row, resulting in 3 incomplete passes, ensuing kick was missed, and just enough time for Tennessee to kick the game winning field goal (also credit Golding’s brilliant rush 3 cushion defense).
That drive alone was enough to keep UA out of the playoffs.
Maybe, but BY vs that terrible TN pass defense. Pretty good odds no?
Heisman trophy winner vs awful secondary and I mean awful
Jax…Yes those calls were eerily similar to his calls in a few other games. At times his play-calling ignored what was working for the offense. Bryce saved us in a number of games in spite of his calls.
Jax…..He was criticized for throwing. While many Alabama fans criticized Ryan Day for not throwing in a nearly identical part of the field!!!!
PS. It’s on Saban to make certain they don’t leave time on the clock!!!!!
Negan
4th in scoring offense but 25th in Redzone offense. That’s the source of frustration for most Bama fans.
Also 25th in 3rd down conversion offense.
What I’m reading/hearing from Bama fans is the play calling in the two losses is far more important than scoring 55 plus on Vandy and Utah State.
Why would Mac Jones be familiar with BOB? Jones never played under BOB.
Sark…O’Brien
Sark…O’Brien
Sark…O’Brien
Yeah, I can see name similarities and how these SDS writers get them confused…
It wasn’t a SDS writer that said it. It was “Tom Curran of NBC Sports”.
It wasn’t an SDS writer or editor that edited it either before posting…
I didn’t think so either
After how great he was during his last head coaching job?!