Coaching
Bill O'Brien was appoionted to offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks coach in 2011 following two seasons as quarterbacks coach (2009-10) and one season as wide receivers coach (2008). He originally joined the Patriots as a coaching assistant in 2007, following 14 seasons coaching at the collegiate level. Last season, New England led the NFL in scoring with 32.4 points per game and ranked eighth in total offense. The 518 points scored were first in the league and second in team history to the NFL-record 589 points scored in 2007 and seventh in NFL history. Under O'Brien's tutelege, Tom Brady became the first unanimous Associated Press MVP. Brady was also a unanimous AP First Team All Pro selection and earned his sixth Pro Bowl selection. Brady set NFL records with 335 consecutive pass attempts without an inerception, nine straight games with two touchdown passes and no interceptions, and he led the league with 36 touchdown passes and a 9:1 touchdown/interception ratio. In 2009, the Patriots offense finished third in the NFL after averaging 397.3 yards in total offense. That total is the second highest in team history to the 411.3 yards in total offense per game in 2007. Under O'Brien's guidance, Tom Brady was elected to his fifth Pro Bowl and posted his third season with 4,000 yards after finishing with 4,398 passing yards, second only to his team-record 4,806 yards passing he had in 2007. Brady also finished with 28 touchdown passes for his fifth season with 25 or more touchdowns. The Patriots finished sixth in the NFL in 2009 with 427 points, a total that ranks fifth in team history. In 2008, Patriots wide receivers contributed to an offense that posted the third highest yardage output in franchise history, despite the loss of starting quarterback Tom Brady in Week 1. Wes Welker produced his second consecutive season with 100-plus receptions and was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Both Welker and Randy Moss posted 1,000- yard receiving seasons in 2008, each achieving the first back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in franchise history. Prior to entering the NFL, O'Brien coached in the Atlantic Coast Conference for 12 seasons, including tenures at Georgia Tech (1995-2002), Maryland (2003-04) and Duke (2005-06). O'Brien completed a two-year tenure at Duke as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2005-06. O'Brien joined the Duke coaching staff after spending two seasons as the running backs coach at the University of Maryland. In his first season with Maryland in 2003, the Tarrapins finished second in the ACC in rushing and defeated West Virginia in the Gator Bowl. O'Brien spent eight seasons at Georgia Tech (1995- 2002), and served as the Yellow Jackets' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in his final two seasons. In addition to his normal duties, he also served as an assistant head coach in 2002 and was Georgia Tech's recruiting coordinator from 1999-2000. He spent his first three seasons at Georgia Tech as an offensive graduate assistant (1995-97), before beginning a three-year stint as the Yellow Jackets' running backs coach (1998-2000). In each of O'Brien's three seasons coaching the running backs, Georgia Tech finished no lower than third in the conference in rushing. During his two-year tenure as offensive coordinator (2001-02), the team played in a bowl game each season. In 2001, under O'Brien's direction, the Yellow Jackets led the ACC in passing and finished third in the league in scoring. O'Brien began his coaching career at Brown, coaching tight ends in 1993 and tutoring inside linebackers in 1994.
Playing
O'Brien was a linebacker and defensive end at Brown University from 1990-92.
Personal
Bill O'Brien was born on October 23, 1969 in Dorchester, Mass. and raised in Andover. He and his wife, Colleen, have two sons, Jack and Michael.
