BC Bulletin

Former BC Football Head Coach Sees Bill O'Brien Taking Program to New Heights: The Rundown

A former BC football head coach who spent six seasons in Chestnut Hill was a guest of ACC Network's 'ACC Road Trip' series on Wednesday.
Graham Dietz|
Nov 2, 2019; Syracuse, NY, USA; Boston College Eagles head coach Steve Addazio calls a time-out against the Syracuse Orange during the second quarter at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2019; Syracuse, NY, USA; Boston College Eagles head coach Steve Addazio calls a time-out against the Syracuse Orange during the second quarter at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, ACC Network, the subscription-based channel owned and operated by ESPN which is dedicated to coverage of the Atlantic Coast Conference, set up shop in the front portion of Boston College football’s Chamberlin Practice Fields next to Fish Fieldhouse.

In Wednesday’s addition of the ACC Road Trip series, which takes ACC Network’s crew members around the country to preview the upcoming college football season from the perspective of the ACC’s 17 football member institutions, a familiar face showed up on the Heights.

That person was former BC head coach Steve Addazio, who served at the helm of the Eagles’ football program from 2013-19.

Addazio, who led BC to five seven-win seasons during his tenure in Chestnut Hill, Mass., commented on the program’s hire of Bill O’Brien, the second-year head coach of the Eagles, during the segment which aired on live television at 7 p.m. EST on the channel, and put an emphasis on the praise he has for the former NFL head coach of the Houston Texans.

“Well first off, they hired the right guy,” Addazio said. “Bill O’Brien is a Massachusetts guy, a Northeast guy, and he understands Boston College, he’s got toughness to him, he’s got pedigree coming from the NFL, he’s got head coaching experience. So I love Bill [and] I love what he’s trying to do here.”

Part of Addazio’s message during the segment was dedicated to what his expectations are for O’Brien as the head coach of the program he once led.

Addazio is expecting big things from O’Brien in his new journey, both in a recruiting sense and from a coaching standpoint.

“I think he’s going to bring back the edge and what you need here at Boston College,” Addazio said. “Big picture, I think he’s developing a culture here that’s gonna be a real competitive team week in and week out. You’re going to watch them grow fundamentally in year two, you’re going to watch that toughness continue to grow in year two, and I think he’s gonna bring BC to new heights.”

Today’s Schedule:

No games are scheduled for Thursday, August 7.

Eagles Results:

No games were scheduled for Wednesday, August 6.

Countdown to Boston College football’s season opener:

23 days.

Did You Notice?

  • Former BC assistant baseball coach Dan Tischler was hired by Wheaton College to serve as its next head baseball coach.
  • The Boston College men's and women's soccer teams and the volleyball team has returned to campus for fall training camps.
  • Former Boston College football linebacker Kam Arnold ('25) returned to Massachusetts at the New England Patriots' joint practice with the Washington Commanders. Arnold was picked up by Washington as an undrafted free agent signing after going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Boston College Eagles Quote of the Day: 

"Overconfidence has lost more battles than superior opposition."

- Gil Dobie

Social Media:

Check us out on... 

Published
Graham Dietz
GRAHAM DIETZ

Graham Dietz is a 2025 graduate of Boston College and subsequently joined Boston College On SI. He previously served as an editor for The Heights, the independent student newspaper, from fall 2021, including as Sports Editor from 2022-23. Graham works for The Boston Globe as a sports correspondent, covering high school football, girls' basketball, and baseball. He was also a beat writer for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer of 2023.

Share on XFollow graham_dietz
Home/All Things BC