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Bill O'Brien enters his second year at Maryland working with the Terrapin running backs. Though one of the two newest members of the coaching staff, the product of his work far from new to Maryland faithful.
Prior to 2003, O'Brien spent eight years with Georgia Tech, where he worked with current Terp and former Tech cohorts Ralph Friedgen and Dave Sollazzo, as well as assistant recruiting coordinator John Donovan. In his final season in Atlanta, O'Brien served as the Yellow Jackets' assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, a combination of titles that reflects great progress by the 34-year-old in his tenure with Tech.
In his first three years (1995-97) at Georgia Tech, O'Brien served as a graduate assistant to the offense. His final season as a G.A. was his first working with Ralph Friedgen after Friedgen returned to the college ranks following five years in the NFL.
In 1998, O'Brien was hired as Tech's running backs coach, another position he would hold for three years and excel in (notably, his graduate assistant role was filled by Donovan). In each of his three seasons coaching the running backs, the Yellow Jackets finished no lower than third in the Atlantic Coast Conference rankings. In addition, he showed a flair for recruiting that led to the addition of recruiting coordinator to his list of responsibilities in his final two years (1999-2000) as a running backs coach.
At the end of a successful 2000 season, Ralph Friedgen was hired away from his post as Georgia Tech's offensive coordinator to resurrect the Maryland football program. With Friedgen having no choice but to leave prior to the Jackets' bowl game, all eyes were on O'Brien as he took the reins of the offense for the 2000 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. It was a role he would succeed in for the next two seasons.
In O'Brien's first season as an offensive coordinator, Tech led the ACC in passing offense and ranked third in the league in scoring, while tailback Joe Burns posted the first 1,000-yard season by a Yellow Jacket since 1995. In his second season, the Jacket offense was off to a flying start when tailback Tony Hollings -- who was averaging 158.2 yards per game -- went down with an injury in the fourth game of the season. Overall, O'Brien placed five players on the All-ACC first or second team in his two seasons.
Prior to his arrival in Atlanta, O'Brien spent two seasons at his alma mater, Brown University, coaching tight ends in 1993 and inside linebackers in `94.
A three-year letterwinner at outside linebacker for the Bears, O'Brien graduated in 1992 with a bachelor of arts degree with a double concentration in political science and organizational behavior management.
Born October 23, 1969, O'Brien is a native of Andover, Mass. He is married to the former Colleen Corron and the couple had their first child, Jack, in August 2002.
The O'Brien File
Personal
Date of Birth: October 23, 1969
Hometown: Andover, Mass.
Alma Mater: Brown University, `92
Coaching Experience
Georgia Tech
2002 Assistant Head Coach
2001-2002 Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
1999-2000 Recruiting Coordinator
1998-2000 Running Backs
1995-1997 Graduate Assistant - Offense
Brown University
1994 Inside Linebackers
1993 Tight Ends
Playing Experience
Brown University
Football (linebacker/defensive end), 1990-92
Recruiting Areas
Baltimore (city and county), South New Jersey and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
