Alabama reported the recruiting of former Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien as the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Thursday.
O’Brien replaces Steve Sarkisian, who left to turn into the lead trainer at Texas.
“We are pleased and happy to be able to add Bill O’Brien to our coaching staff,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said in a statement. “He has a wealth of experience as both an offensive coordinator and head coach in the NFL and college. Bill is one of the brightest offensive minds in football, an outstanding teacher and excellent recruiter. He will strengthen our coaching staff and give our players the best possible chance to be successful.”
ESPN wrote about Jan. 13 that the Crimson Tide were concluding an arrangement with O’Brien.
For the second time during his residency at Alabama, Saban inclined toward his association with New England Patriots lead trainer Bill Belichick, recruiting one of his previous aides to the part of OC. The latter was Brian Daboll in 2017.
O’Brien, 51, was a Patriots colleague from 2007-11 preceding accepting the situation as lead trainer at Penn State.
O’Brien assumed control over a program shook by the Jerry Sandusky embarrassment and drove the Nittany Lions to a 15-9 record in two seasons prior to taking the work in Houston.
O’Brien drove the Texans to the end of the season games multiple times and was raised to the part of head supervisor in January. He was terminated in October four games into his seventh season.
“I am honored and excited to join Coach Saban’s staff at The University of Alabama,” O’Brien said in a statement. “I have an incredible amount of admiration for the rich football tradition at this University and the success Coach Saban has had during his time in Tuscaloosa. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with some of the best football players in the country, while helping to continue the success this program has enjoyed for many years.”
O’Brien won’t be the lone previous NFL lead trainer to join the Alabama staff this offseason.
ESPN announced for the current week that previous Jacksonville Jaguars mentor Doug Marrone will be gotten to mentor the offensive line.
O’Brien and Marrone are all around familiar, having both filled in as associates on George O’Leary’s staff at Georgia Tech during the 1990s.
