BREAKING: Bill O'Brien Leaves Patriots For College Job; Leading Candidates For Mayo's Staff?
Bill O'Bye.
Jerod Mayo and the New England Patriots will have a new offensive coordinator in 2024, as ESPN reported Thursday night that Bill O'Brien has accepted the same job at Ohio State.
This season as part of Bill Belichick's staff, O'Brien oversaw a nightmarish Patriots' offense that finished tied for last in the NFL in points scored and set several franchise record lows for futility. New England, which went 4-13, was shut out twice at home and held to one touchdown or less in seven of its 17 games.
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O'Brien was brought back in part to help develop quarterback Mac Jones, who was thought to be sent into regression by inexperienced offensive play-caller Matt Patricia during the 2022 season. But Jones' play continued to deteriorate. He was benched in four games and ultimately lost his job to Bailey Zappe for the season's final four games.
O’Brien has an unusual resume in which he spent eight seasons on the staffs of Belichick (2007-11, 2023) in New England and Nick Saban (2021-22) at Alabama without winning a Super Bowl or a National Championship.
Mayo said at this week's introductory press conference that he plans to hire a specific offensive and defensive coordinator because "titles are important."
Another former Patriots offensive coordinator - Josh McDaniels - is rumored to be a leading candidate to return to Foxboro. Jones flourished under his tutelage in 2021, making the Pro Bowl as a rookie.
Whether or not McDaniels is the successor, O'Brien's departure means the Patriots will have a different offensive coordinator for the fourth time in four seasons.
