Once an NFL mainstay, now a key figure in the ACC. After leading the Patriots’ offense in 2011, Bill O’Brien took the reins at PSU in 2012. However, 2 seasons later, he jumped to the NFL, coaching the Houston Texans from 2014 to 2020. But his journey then took him to Alabama, followed by a brief return to New England, before landing at Boston College. Right now, in his first season as BC’s head coach, O’Brien is leveraging his NFL connections to elevate the program. So, with a fresh start and a wealth of experience, he’s ready to make his mark on the ACC.

As of now, Boston College is set to make a big defensive move. According to reports on Thursday, former Browns assistant DL coach Jordan Thomas is expected to take over as BC’s new head DL coach. You know, during his final 3 seasons in Cleveland, he worked closely with All-Pro Myles Garrett. Sure, coaching a generational talent like Garrett isn’t the toughest job in the NFL, but Thomas brings nearly a decade of coaching experience to the table. For Bill O’Brien, this is a smart hire. To be honest, lower-tier NFL coaches see BC as a prime opportunity to prove themselves and climb the coaching ranks.

Right now, while some top college coaches may hesitate due to the ACC’s shifting landscape, BC has become a proving ground for ambitious NFL minds. So, it’s a chance to showcase their skills and climb the coaching ladder toward a bigger role in a Power Four conference. Here, on April 3, during ACC PM, Boston’s head coach, Bill O’Brien, was asked about the NFL’s growing influence in the ACC after Bill Belichick and Frank Reich made their career moves. His response was clear:

“Look, I have great respect, as you know. Like, I coached against Frank Reich in the AFC South. He’s a great coach. And, you know, obviously, I work for Bill, and you guys know that. And Ron Rivera, awesome guy. Guy I got to know in the NFL. You know, I look, I think that it says a lot about the ACC. You know [like] look, we’ve got these guys coming into this league that, you know, are well-known coaches, that are professional coaches,” said O’Brien. Honestly, with big names from the NFL making their way into the ACC, the league’s reputation continues to grow, and BC is right at the center of it.

But O’Brien didn’t stop there. He doubled down on his stance, making it clear where he stands on the ACC’s place in CFB. “And, you know, the ACC, in my opinion, is not third. The ACC is right up there. And I think it says a lot about our league. We’ve got a lot of good coaches in this league. We go to the ACC meetings here in a short time, I think, in May, and that’ll be fun to see all the guys. But it’s a really well-coached,” stated O’Brien.

And he is totally right because the NFL’s influence in the ACC is impossible to ignore. Just look at the names making the jump. Frank Reich, once leading the Panthers and Colts, now finds himself in the ACC. Then, Bill Belichick, the six-time Super Bowl champ? He’s now in North Carolina. And Ron Rivera? He’s back at his alma mater, taking on the GM role at Cal. So, it’s a wave of NFL minds reshaping the college game, and O’Brien is embracing the shift.

However, Bill O’Brien isn’t surprised to see Belichick take the college route. “I’m not that surprised by that,” he said on Boston’s Patriots Talk Podcast. There, he pointed out that most NFL teams rely on a partnership between the HC and GM, which can lead to challenges. “I would suspect that it just wasn’t the right fit,” added O’Brien. But in college football? It’s a different game. “You’re able to go to places where you believe they’re going to give you the resources to get things done. And you’re the one in charge.”

And while the NFL pipeline is reshaping the ACC, Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien has his own mission—revamping the run game.

Bill O’Brien’s clear mission for his program

Since arriving at Chestnut Hill, Bill O’Brien has made one thing clear—his team will be built on toughness and identity. Well, the 55 year old has preached that standard since training camp last year, pushing his players to embrace a hard-nosed mentality. For the ACC Football Kickoff in July 2024, he set the tone, stating, “Boston College should be known as a disciplined, tough, hardworking football team.”

Right now, on ACC PM broadcast, Coach O’Brien doubled down on his vision for Boston College’s identity—physicality, saying, “I still think that we’re a team that has to establish our physical identity with our running game on offense and our ability to stop the run on defense.” Moreover, the head coach said, “Both of those we’re working really hard on in the spring. We’re working hard on our run game.” Honestly, for O’Brien, toughness isn’t just a mindset—it’s the foundation of Boston football.

However, spring ball is all about building toughness, and Bill O’Brien knows the value of every rep. “You get 15 practices, and 12 can be in full pads, which I think is really, really beneficial to us,” said the HC. “We work hard on fundamentals—blocking, taking on blocks, tackling—the things that really establish a physical identity. And I think our guys have done a good job of that so far,” according to O’Brien.

As of now, for BC, every snap this spring is a step toward becoming a tougher, more disciplined team.