Alabama made Bill O’Brien’s hiring official, naming him offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
The former Texans’ head coach becomes the fifth offensive coordinator the Crimson Tide has had in the past six years.
“We are pleased and happy to be able to add Bill O’Brien to our coaching staff,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said in a release. “He has a wealth of experience as both an offensive coordinator and head coach in the NFL and college. Bill is one of the brightest offensive minds in football, an outstanding teacher and excellent recruiter. He will strengthen our coaching staff and give our players the best possible chance to be successful.”
O’Brien returns to the college ranks after seven seasons in Houston as head coach and briefly as head coach/General Manager. He went 54-52 with the Texans, who fired him after an 0-4 start this season.
He served as Penn State’s head coach in 2012-13.
“I am honored and excited to join coach Saban’s staff at The University of Alabama,” O’Brien said in the news release. “I have an incredible amount of admiration for the rich football tradition at this university and the success coach Saban has had during his time in Tuscaloosa. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with some of the best football players in the country, while helping to continue the success this program has enjoyed for many years.”
