Bill Belichick always says he tries to do what’s best for the football team. Except, apparently, when it comes to poaching an assistant coach from a good friend.
The Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard reported recently that Belichick didn’t approach Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien about rejoining the Patriots’ staff out of respect for Nick Saban, one of his closest buddies. O’Brien made a two-year commitment to Saban that Belichick didn’t want to disrupt.
“Finally got to the bottom of the Bill O’Brien mystery, and why he’s not back here as offensive coordinator,” Bedard writes. “A) O’Brien made a two-year commitment to Saban. B) Belichick just wasn’t going to put Saban, his good friend, in the position of giving his blessing on O’Brien leaving.”
Of course, it would be far from unprecedented for a head coach to try and poach another assistant from somebody else’s staff. It constantly happens to Belichick, who lost Josh McDaniels and three offensive assistants to the Raiders this offseason. Maybe Belichick didn’t want to put Saban in that position.
While that’s an admirable way to treat a friend, it seems a little unnecessary. Heading back to the NFL would be a promotion for O’Brien, and his presence would be a big upgrade for the Patriots. They seem prepared to enter the season with Matt Patricia, Joe Judge and tight ends coach Nick Caley handling the primary coordinator duties.
O’Brien served as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator in 2011 before leaving to coach Penn State from 2012-13 and the Texans from 2014-20.
Bedard writes that Belichick could inquire about O’Brien next season if the Patriots’ current coaching configuration fails. Hopefully that’s not too late for Mac Jones.
