Former Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien is joining the New England Patriots as their offensive coordinator, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. O’Brien was previously rumored to be in contention for the job last offseason.

O’Brien will return to the position he held prior to filling the Nittany Lions’ head coaching vacancy in 2012.

Alabama OC/QB coach Bill O’Brien has returned to New England and is being named the Patriots offensive coordinator, sources tell @ClowESPN and me. O’Brien was a Patriots’ assistant coach from 2007-2011, and now returns to coach Mac Jones, whom he briefly worked with at Alabama.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 24, 2023

While O’Brien’s stint in State College was not long, it was incredibly impactful given the timing of his hire. Leaving as offensive coordinator in New England with quarterback Tom Brady, O’Brien replaced Penn State’s legendary coach fixture Joe Paterno.

In response to the infamous Jerry Sandusky sex scandal, Penn State was hit with crippling NCAA sanctions and O’Brien was tasked with leading the team through that murky time. In his first season, O’Brien led the team to an 8-4 record (the most wins for a first-year head coach at Penn State) and earned the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award for college football’s best coach.

The following season, O’Brien led the Nittany Lions to a 7-5 record before being hired as the Houston Texans’ head coach.

With the Texans, O’Brien went 52-48 and won four division titles. He was promoted to general manager before the 2020 season, made a less-than-popular trade, and was fired from both positions after his team started the year 0-4.

Most recently, O’Brien served as offensive coordinator under Nick Saban for an Alabama Crimson Tide team, which finished as runner-up in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship game and won this season’s Sugar Bowl.