Tom O'Brien (football coach)

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Tom O'Brien

Title Head Coach
College NC State
Sport College football
Team record 5-7
Born October 5, 1948 (1948-10-05) (age 59)
Place of birth Cincinnati, Ohio
Career highlights
Overall 80-52
Coaching stats
College Football DataWarehouse
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1997-2006
2007 - present
Boston College
NC State

Thomas P. O'Brien (born October 5, 1948), is an American college football coach. He is the current head coach of the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Previously, O'Brien was the head coach at Boston College and served as an assistant at Virginia and Navy.

Contents

[edit] Boston College

From the time O'Brien took the helm as head coach of Boston College in 1996 until his departure in 2006, the Eagles attained a consistently high level of achievement, both on the field and in the classroom:

  • 2005's team was the first since 1984 to be ranked in the top 25 in at least one of the two major polls from start to finish. The team finished 17th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll, its highest finish in that poll since 1993 (12th). It finished 18th in the final Associated Press poll, its highest finish in that poll 1993 (13th). The Eagles finished 12th in the final Sagarin rankings, which take into account win/loss record and strength of schedule. According to the rankings, the Eagles played the 22nd-most-difficult schedule in the country in 2005. Only Virginia Tech (5th) finished higher in the Sagarin rankings among ACC teams. *The team became the 11th in BC history to win nine or more games in a season; three of those seasons have come under Tom O'Brien. The 2005 senior class won 35 games, the most in the modern era of BC football history. The 35 wins also ties for the best four-year mark in school history (1939-42). The Eagles have now strung together the most successful five, six and seven-year periods in school history.

[edit] North Carolina State

It was announced on December 8, 2006 that O'Brien would be leaving Boston College to take over the helm at NC State, replacing outgoing coach Chuck Amato. According to ESPN writer Mark Schlabach, NC State chose O'Brien over Navy coach Paul Johnson. All but three of his staff are following him to NCSU. [1] O'Brien's departure to NC State will represent the third time in ACC history that a head coach has left one ACC school for another (Jim Tatum & Bobby Ross). [2]

[edit] Personal

O'Brien was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he played football at St. Xavier High School. He went on to play collegiate ball at the U.S. Naval Academy, distinguishing himself as a three-year starter at defensive end for the Midshipmen from 1968-70.

O'Brien is active in community outreach programs and serves on the board of directors for the Marine Corps' "Toys for Tots." He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. He was a major in the Marine Corps reserves. Where he served as a sniper. [3]

O'Brien also owns a vacation home in South Carolina where he plans to spend his retirement after coaching.

[edit] Coaching Record

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl Rank#
Boston College (Big East Conference) (1997 – 2004)
1997 Boston College 4-7-0 3-4 T-5th
1998 Boston College 4-7-0 3-4 5th
1999 Boston College 8-4-0 4-3 3rd L Insight.com Bowl
2000 Boston College 7-5-0 3-4 T-5th W Aloha Classic
2001 Boston College 8-4-0 4-3 T-3rd W Music City Bowl 23
2002 Boston College 9-4-0 3-4 T-4th W Music City Bowl 23
2003 Boston College 8-5-0 3-4 5th W Motor City Bowl
2004 Boston College 9-3-0 4-2 T-1st W Continental Tire Bowl 21
Boston College (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2005 – 2006)
2005 Boston College 9-3-0 5-3 T-1st (Atlantic) W MPC Computers Bowl 17
2006 Boston College 9-3-0 5-3 T-2nd (Atlantic) W Meineke Car Care Bowl 20
Boston College: 75-45-0
North Carolina State (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2007 – 2007)
2007 North Carolina State 5-7-0 3-5 T-5th (Atlantic)
2008 North Carolina State
North Carolina State: 5-7-0
Total: 80-52-0
      National Championship         Conference Title         Conference Division Title
Indicates BCS bowl game. #Rankings from final Coaches Poll of the season.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mark Schlabach (2006-12-06). Sources: Wolfpack hire O'Brien over Johnson. ESPN. Retrieved on 2006-12-06.
  2. ^ Aaron Beard (2006-12-07). N.C. State, O'Brien Close to Deal. Associated Press. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
  3. ^ O'Brien brings new style to Wolfpack. Sporting News (June 15, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-15.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Chuck Amato
NC State Wolfpack Head Coach
2007–Present
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Dan Henning
Boston College Eagles Head Coach
1997–2006
Succeeded by
Jeff Jagodzinski