Bill O’Brien is once again set to be the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at a powerhouse college football program, as multiple reports indicate he will soon be hired at Ohio State.

The 54-year-old O’Brien spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons in the same position at Alabama before returning the NFL with the New England Patriots this past season. In addition to several years as an NFL assistant and head coach, he has also been offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech and Duke and head coach at Penn State.

O’Brien was not particularly popular among Alabama fans despite mentoring Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young in 2021 and helping Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide to a 24-4 record, an SEC championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff national championship game. His play-calling often came into question and Alabama struggled to run the ball effectively for much of the 2022 season.

O’Brien also drew some “retroactive” criticism this past December when Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe revealed prior to the Rose Bowl that O’Brien encouraged him to move to another position. Milroe finished in the Top 10 in the Heisman balloting as a first-year starter while being coached by Tommy Rees in 2023, and led Alabama to the SEC title and the College Football Playoff in Saban’s final season.

At Ohio State, O’Brien takes over an offense that fell off noticeably in 2023. He is expected to assume play-calling duties from head coach Ryan Day, according to a report by the Columbus Dispatch.