Bill O’Brien, Ohio State football’s offensive coordinator, was planning to go to Columbus when Jeff Hafley departed Boston College for the Green Bay Packers.
After his initial press conference on Thursday, O’Brien said that “my phone blew up a little bit” that night. “The process itself started the next day.”
O’Brien left the Buckeyes after just three weeks to take over the Eagles. His wife is a Boston College graduate, and he has additional ties to the area via his two stints with the New England Patriots.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day promptly hired Chip Kelly as O’Brien’s replacement. At the time of O’Brien’s hiring, Day was excited to find a coach with the NFL and head coaching experience he needed to pass over play calling and management of his offense for the first time.
During his opening remarks, O’Brien praised Day’s understanding of the Boston College context. He claims Day would have allowed him to stay at OSU if the Boston College hire had not come together. Finally, because of his family connections and football chances, O’Brien described the job as “a no-brainer.”
“I really want to thank Ryan Day, the head football coach at Ohio State, for his patience and his understanding of why it was so important for me to pursue this job,” O’Brien said in a statement. “Many individuals here at Boston College are familiar with Ryan Day. Ryan Day is an exceptional person and coach, and he was fantastic throughout this entire process.”
O’Brien stated that when he first started at OSU, he drove the 10-hour trek to Columbus. He had to make the drive back last Friday.
“It wasn’t bad, though,” O’Brien added. “Kids from Ohio should enjoy coming to Boston College.”
