WATCH: Ex-Penn State football coach floored by surprise reunion with star QB

It’s not every day that former players get to see their former head coach. However, ex-Penn State football players Adam Breneman and Christian Hackenberg made this happen with Bill O’Brien recently. The connection from the days when all three ex-Nittany Lions represented the Blue and White during the 2013 season. Now, with their playing days behind them, Breneman and Hackenberg caught up with O’Brien who actively serves as the head coach at Boston College. His reaction to seeing his former players was priceless.

Former Penn State football HC floored by former player reunion

Bill O’Brien served as the Penn State football head coach during some of the program’s darkest days. O’Brien took over the head coaching duties on January 7, 2o12. Later that summer, Penn State received a harsh punishment from the NCAA resulting from the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. The Nittany Lions lost 40 scholarships over four years and received a four-year postseason ban.

During these days it wasn’t about who left Happy Valley to seek opportunity elsewhere, it was about who stuck by the program during the challenging times. O’Brien and players such as Adam Breneman and Christian Hackenberg are people who will forever be remembered for sticking by Penn State.

Now that his playing days are over, Adam Breneman has grown his social media outreach. In his YouTube series Next Up With Adam, he revealed that he has reunited with O’Brien for the first time since 2017. He also brought former Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg with him. O’Brien’s reaction was phenomenal.

The second he saw Hackenberg, he shouted “Oh Hack came too?!” It was clear that both former players still mean a lot to O’Brien even after all these years later. The full episode will be released next week on Breneman’s YouTube channel.

Very cool moment.

Haven’t seen Coach O’Brien since 2017.

He also didn’t know @chackenberg1 was joining me for this trip.

You’re not gonna want to miss this interview.

Drops next week on @NextUpWithAdam!pic.twitter.com/lVZZrI0L4S

— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman81) May 29, 2024

Christian Hackenberg had a wildly successful true freshman season under O’Brien in 2013, throwing for 2,955 yards and 20 touchdowns. Breaking 12 Penn State football freshman passing records and one overall school passing record, Hackenberg earned True Freshman All-American and Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.

However, one season was all the duo would get together in Happy Valley. Following that 2013 season, Bill O’Brien left the Nittany Lions to take the Houston Texans head coaching position.

O’Brien’s journey to Boston College

When it’s all said and done, reviewing the track record for Bill O’Brien will be interesting. He has coached at the highest levels and has also served as an offensive coordinator at various stops along the way. Most recently, during the 2023 season, O’Brien served as the OC for the New England Patriots.

Following this past season, he took the new offensive coordinator role at Ohio State. On January 19, he accepted that position. However, once Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley took the position of defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, O’Brien stepped in to take over as the head coach at Boston College on February 9. He will have another challenge ahead of him with the new-look ACC this fall.

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