Bill O'Brien (American football)
Encyclopedia
Bill O'Brien is currently American football
offensive coordinator
and quarterback
s coach for the New England Patriots
of the National Football League
.
, O'Brien attended Brown University
in Providence, Rhode Island
where he played defensive end
and linebacker
for the Bears from 1990 until 1992.
s in 1993 then inside linebackers in 1994. He would then spend the next three seasons (1995–1997) as an offensive graduate assistant at the Georgia Institute of Technology
. He then coached the Yellow Jackets' running back
s from the 1998 season through 2000 season. From 2001 to 2002, O'Brien served as offensive coordinator and quarterback
s coach and was named an assistant head coach for the 2002 season. In 2003, he left to coach running back
s at the University of Maryland
, spending two seasons there before being named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Duke in 2005.
as an offensive assistant. On February 21, 2008
, O'Brien was promoted to wide receivers coach. He became the team's quarterback coach and offensive play-caller following the 2008 season and the departure of quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels
. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in February 2011.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
s coach for the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Playing career
After graduating from St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, MassachusettsDanvers, Massachusetts
Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, Danvers is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials, and for its famous asylum, the Danvers State Hospital.-17th century:The land...
, O'Brien attended Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
where he played defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Bears from 1990 until 1992.
College
O'Brien's first coaching position was at Brown, where he coached tight endTight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
s in 1993 then inside linebackers in 1994. He would then spend the next three seasons (1995–1997) as an offensive graduate assistant at the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
. He then coached the Yellow Jackets' running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s from the 1998 season through 2000 season. From 2001 to 2002, O'Brien served as offensive coordinator and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
s coach and was named an assistant head coach for the 2002 season. In 2003, he left to coach running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, spending two seasons there before being named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Duke in 2005.
NFL
After two seasons with Duke, O'Brien was hired by the New England Patriots on February 27, 20072007 New England Patriots season
The 2007 New England Patriots season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 48th season overall. They finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record but lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII....
as an offensive assistant. On February 21, 2008
2008 New England Patriots season
The 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team...
, O'Brien was promoted to wide receivers coach. He became the team's quarterback coach and offensive play-caller following the 2008 season and the departure of quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels
Josh McDaniels
Josh McDaniels is the former head coach of the Denver Broncos and currently the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams. He previously served as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots...
. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in February 2011.