FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Invoice O’Brien will return to the New England Patriots after agreeing to a deal Tuesday to develop into their subsequent offensive coordinator, sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Low.
O’Brien, 53, who spent the previous two seasons because the offensive coordinator underneath Nick Saban at Alabama, now could be again to the place his NFL profession started in 2007 as a training assistant.
In that first stint in New England, O’Brien rapidly rose via the ranks on Invoice Belichick’s employees to quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, spending three years (2009-11) in that function earlier than departing for head-coaching positions with Penn State (2012-13) and the Houston Texans (2014-20).
A Massachusetts native, O’Brien shall be charged with enhancing a Patriots offense that dipped notably in most key areas in 2022, together with:
• Purple zone effectivity: eleventh (39 TDs in 63 journeys) to thirty second (19 TDs in 45 journeys)
• Third-down effectivity: tenth (43.5%) to twenty seventh (34.8%)
• First downs: tied for ninth (362) to twenty eighth (288)
• Sacks allowed: eighth (28 for 241 yards) to nineteenth (41 for 279 yards)
• Touchdowns scored: 48 to 31
Belichick did not identify an official offensive coordinator for the Patriots in 2022, leaning on Matt Patricia as the first playcaller regardless of Patricia’s largely defensive background in his NFL profession.
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Belichick additionally oversaw a streamlining of the offense — altering the blocking terminology for offensive linemen — during which considered one of his objectives was to provide extra large performs down the sector.
However the desired outcomes by no means got here to fruition, resulting in the Patriots, who’re notoriously tight-lipped about their intentions, publicly saying on Jan. 12 that they might be interviewing for an offensive coordinator.
Along with O’Brien, the Patriots additionally spoke with present New England tight ends coach Nick Caley, Minnesota Vikings large receivers coach Keenan McCardell, Arizona Cardinals assistant head coach Shawn Jefferson and Oregon affiliate head coach/offensive line/run-game coordinator Adrian Klemm concerning the job.
Upon touchdown at Alabama, the place he labored carefully with quarterback Bryce Younger, O’Brien had additionally hung out with present Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, who helped O’Brien study the Tide offense within the months following Jones’ ultimate season with Alabama.
With O’Brien headed again to the NFL, Saban shall be on the lookout for his sixth completely different offensive coordinator previously eight seasons. The earlier 5 — Steve Sarkisian, Mike Locksley, Brian Daboll, Lane Kiffin and O’Brien — are all now both NFL head coaches or offensive coordinators or Energy 5 head coaches.
Saban is also trying to find a defensive coordinator after Pete Golding left for a similar place at Ole Miss earlier this month. The final time Saban introduced in two new coordinators in the identical yr was after the Crimson Tide’s 2017 nationwide championship season.
