Alabama has reached an agreement with former Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien to be the next offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide, sources told ESPN.
O’Brien was at the Alabama football complex on Wednesday. He also spent time around the team last week before the National College Playoff Championship game.
Saban was asked about O’Brien on Wednesday at a Zoom press conference that led to the announcement of the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award, which Saban won Wednesday night.
Saban praised O’Brien’s work and named him a remarkable coach, and although Saban did not officially announce O’Brien as Alabama’s new offensive coordinator, he said O’Brien will “do an excellent job with our players. here”.
Saban added: “We have always tried to have the best knowledge and experience I can for our players and their development and I certainly believe [O’Brien] can contribute to this in a very positive way. “
O’Brien, who also served as Texans general manager last year, was fired four games in the 2020 season after taking the Texans to the playoffs in four of his first six seasons in Houston.
O’Brien, 51, replaces Steve Sarkisian, who left Alabama for head coach in Texas.
While his most recent coaching experience was in the NFL, O’Brien also has a long history as a college coach. He was head coach of Penn State in 2012-13, helping rebuild the program following the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the NCAA sanctions that followed. O’Brien was Duke’s offensive coordinator in 2005-06 and Georgia Tech’s offensive coordinator in 2001-02.
Similar to Saban, O’Brien has strong ties to Bill Belichick and coached under Belichick with the New England Patriots for five seasons from 2007 to ’11, his last season as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator.
O’Brien will be Saban’s seventh different offensive coordinator, returning to Jim McElwain, who left after the 2011 season to serve as Colorado’s head coach.
Saban also has an offensive line position to occupy his staff, as Kyle Flood goes with Sarkisian to Texas to be the Longhorns offensive coordinator / offensive line coach, ESPN sources confirmed.