REPORT: Ohio State eyeing ex-Penn State football head coach as assistant

It feels like forever ago when Penn State football called Bill O’Brien its head coach. The reality is it was only 11 years ago. O’Brien took over for Joe Paterno in 2012 and coached the Nittany Lions in that lone season. Since then, he has bounced around the NFL and college football ranks. Now, it appears that Ohio State has significant interest in bringing in the former Nittany Lion head coach as their next offensive coordinator.

REPORT: Big Ten foe rumored to be interested in former Penn State football head coach

Although it has been 11 years, it would be tough to see Bill O’Brien return to Happy Valley on the opposing sideline. However, according to sources at Penn State Rivals, this could be the case as Ohio State appears to have interest.

O’Brien is the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the New England Patriots. But after Bill Belichick and the Patriots parted ways and Jerod Mayo was announced as the next Patriot head coach, one would imagine a new coaching staff would be brought into the mix. If that’s the case, then O’Brien would be looking for work elsewhere and potentially at Ohio State.

Sounds like former #PennState HC Bill O'Brien might be headed to #OhioState as their new Offensive Coordinator.

Overall thoughts? pic.twitter.com/q1wSagVVLm

— Happy Valley Insider (@PennStateRivals) January 18, 2024

Career resurgence for Bill O’Brien

Ohio State had Brian Hartline as its offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2023. But everyone knows that Hartline’s specialty is coaching wide receivers. If the Buckeyes were to hire O’Brien, it would allow Hartline to continue to ramp up the wide receiver room.

O’Brien left Penn State in 2013 to become the Houston Texans head coach which he was at until 2020. He brought a career resurgence after returning to Alabama, which landed him his current role in New England. But the former Nittany Lion could be on the move again if everything falls into place.

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