The first big hire of the offseason has happened. After a rough season with Matt Patricia as the offensive coordinator, many thought New England would aggressively pursue someone else. They have officially landed their guy. The Patriots have hired Bill O’Brien as their new OC.
News: The #Patriots have hired Alabama OC/QB coach Bill O’Brien as their new Offensive Coordinator, per @ClowESPN and @AdamSchefter
O’Brien is coming back to New England. pic.twitter.com/oJ9nAOSbkw
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 24, 2023
Patriots Hire Bill O’Brien As New OC
This is O’Brien’s second stint as the OC in New England. He held the title in 2011 and was also with the team from 2007-2010 in various offensive assistant roles. Most recently, O’Brien has been the OC at the University of Alabama under Nick Saban. While many will remember Bill O’Brien’s time as the Texans’ head coach, he has a great track record of being a solid coordinator. He now gets to coach up a promising young QB in Mac Jones and try to add some life to the New England offense.
A Needed Upgrade
The Patriots’ offense was an absolute disaster last season under Patricia. Despite that, New England was one win away from being the 7-seed in the AFC. If their offense had shown up for a couple of games, they probably were comfortably in. The team is hoping that a proven OC will help elevate the offense to the level of their defense. The defense showed tons of promise and if the offense can match the level, New England will be back to their winning ways next season.
Related: Chargers Also Looking For New OC
This is a huge win for New England. Patricia could not stay in the role. A player to watch next year will be Mac Jones as he should show some good development in a brand-new offense.