Former Texans head coach Bill O’Brien hired as Alabama offensive coordinator

TUSCALOOSA – The reigning national champs have found their man.

Thursday evening, the Alabama Crimson Tide officially announced on twitter that they have hired former Texans head coach Bill O’Brien as their new offensive coordinator. O’Brien replaces Steve Sarkisian, who left this offseason to become the new head coach of the Texas Longhorns.

This marks the fifth new offensive coordinator for Alabama in the last six years. O’Brien spent the last seven seasons with Houston, where he served as both head coach and general manager. Over that span, the Texans finished 54-52. He was fired after an 0-4 start to this past NFL season.

“I am honored and excited to join Coach [Nick] Saban’s staff at The University of Alabama,” O’Brien said via press 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.”

“We are pleased and happy to be able to add Bill O’Brien to our coaching staff,” Saban said. “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 will inherit an offense that finished the 2020 season as arguably the nation’s most effective unit. For his part in leading the Crimson Tide offense last season, Sarkisian won the Broyles Award, annually given to honor the best assistant coach in college football.