Bill O’Brien has made his return to the New England Patriots after agreeing to a deal Tuesday to become their next offensive coordinator, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Low.
O’Brien, 53, spent the last two seasons under Nick Saban at Alabama, where he served as the team’s offensive coordinator, and now makes his return to the organization where he began his NFL career back in 2007 as a coaching assistant.
O’Brien will have a lot of work to do in New England, as the Patriots saw the following offensive numbers in 2022:
• Red zone efficiency: 11th (39 TDs in 63 trips) to 32nd (19 TDs in 45 trips)
• Third-down efficiency: 10th (43.5%) to 27th (34.8%)
• First downs: tied for ninth (362) to 28th (288)
• Sacks allowed: eighth (28 for 241 yards) to 19th (41 for 279 yards)
• Touchdowns scored: 48 to 31
On the Alabama side of things, Saban will be looking for his sixth different offensive coordinator in the past eight seasons following the departure of O’Brien.
