Patriots Officially Hire Bill O’Brien; Bill Belichick Offers Statement

It’s official: The Patriots have a new offensive coordinator.

New England on Thursday morning formally announced the hiring of Bill O’Brien, who previously coached for the Patriots from 2007 through 2011, including as offensive coordinator in the final season. Reports of the O’Brien hiring first popped up Tuesday morning, with New England’s subsequent Shrine Bown coaching reveal essentially confirming the news.

The organization’s press release included a statement from head coach Bill Belichick.

“I am looking forward to working with Bill again,” Belichick said. “He is an outstanding coach and an asset to our staff.”

O’Brien, 53, now is tasked with resurrecting a Patriots offense that bottomed out in 2022 under the failed supervision of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. The fates of both coaches remain unclear, although multiple reports indicate at least Patricia could be on his way out.

After leaving the Patriots in 2012 to become the head coach of Penn State, O’Brien coached the Houston Texans from 2014 through 2020 before working as Alabama’s offensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022.