College Football

Boston College HC Bill O'Brien on Patriots: 'I definitely had an opportunity to stay'

Published Feb. 15, 2024 4:29 p.m. ET

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Boston College introduced Bill O'Brien as its head coach on Thursday, which officially concluded an offseason saga that included the 54-year-old serving a short stint as Ohio State's offensive coordinator after he parted from the New England Patriots. 

O'Brien, who was the Patriots offensive coordinator in 2023, said that the departure of former long-time New England head coach Bill Belichick was not the sole reason he left the team, per WEEI.com. O'Brien explained that he had a chance to stay with the team, but he ultimately felt that it would be a better situation for new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo to hire his own staff. 

As a result, O'Brien briefly accepted the job as Ohio State's OC before becoming the head coach at Boston College.

"I definitely had an opportunity to stay," O'Brien explained to reporters at his introductory press conference. "I thought it was really important for Coach Mayo to hire his own staff. I came and worked for Bill Belichick, and I think it's really important for Jerod to be able to hire his own staff. The Krafts were great about that, and I really appreciate that. And [Ohio State head coach] Ryan Day was awesome about offering me a job, so that's why I made that decision." 

The Patriots have tabbed Alex Van Pelt as their new OC, while the Buckeyes replaced O'Brien with former NFL and UCLA head coach Chip Kelly. 

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