O'Brien spent five seasons with the Patriots, from 2007 through the 2011 season, and contributed to five winning seasons, four AFC East Division titles and two AFC Conference Champions during his time with New England. The Patriots finished in the top 10 in offense every year during O'Brien's time with the Patriots.
O'Brien served as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2011, following two seasons as quarterbacks coach (2009-10) and one season as wide receivers coach in 2008. He originally joined the Patriots as a coaching assistant in 2007, following 14 seasons coaching at the collegiate level.
After leaving New England, O'Brien served as the head coach at Penn State (2012-13) where he garnered national and conference Coach of the Year honors in 2012. He was named the head coach of the Houston Texans in 2014. In his seven seasons with the Texans, Houston won four AFC South titles and advanced to the AFC Divisional Round twice. He most recently served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Alabama (2021-22).
O'Brien served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Duke University for two seasons (2005-06) prior to joining New England in 2007. Prior to Duke, he coached in the Atlantic Coast Conference for 12 seasons, including tenures at Georgia Tech (1995-2002) and Maryland (2003-04).
O'Brien is a native New Englander, hailing from Andover, Mass. He attended Brown University in Providence, R.I., where he was a linebacker and defensive end from 1990-92. O'Brien began his coaching career at Brown, coaching tight ends in 1993 and tutoring inside linebackers in 1994.
