The coaching carousel in college football is starting to thin out. Currently, Penn State remains open, and with each passing day, it’s becoming clear that firing James Franklin was a mistake with no plan in place. Penn State’s loss is Virginia Tech’s gain.
When it comes to the ACC, some coaches who were in trouble are remaining at their schools. The most notable name is Mike Norvell at Florida State. In October, the university announced that it would decide on his future at the end of the year. They are bringing him back after his buyout was likely too much to be paid out by FSU.
Brent Key at Georgia Tech was someone who was drawing interest in some openings, but it appears he’s staying in Atlanta. Another coach whose job security was in question was Bill O’Brien at Boston College. On Tuesday, the school announced he was coming back. It was a surprising decision.
Bill O’Brien Survives for Another Year at Boston College
Let’s not sugarcoat it: Boston College is not an opening that is going to move the needle in the coaching carousel. However, the Eagles struggled through a 2-10 season that was bookended with wins over Fordham and Syracuse. They finished 1-7 in the ACC, which is having a big-time down season. There were times this year when frustration got the best of O’Brien, who had several run-ins with the Media.
Boston College athletic director Blake James released a statement that O’Brien is the right man for the job.
“Like many, I believe Coach O’Brien is the right man to be our head coach. I also realize that Boston College must respond to major changes taking place in intercollegiate athletics, including the House legal settlement, which created a framework through which colleges and universities may directly share revenue with student-athletes,” James wrote.
James went on to write that the school is going to make “significant investments in operational and administrative support for football.” They are also hiring an Eagles alum in Kenyatta Watson, as the new GM, coming over from Auburn.
BC Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Boston College is in a tough position going forward. They are a school that struggles to attract the top talent not only in the state of Massachusetts, but across the country. O’Brien went 7-6 in his first season after replacing Jeff Hafley, who bolted for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL to become their defensive coordinator.
Watson was highly regarded as a recruiter during his time at Florida State and Georgia Tech before landing at Auburn. Recruiting players to FSU, Georgia Tech, and Auburn is easier than recruiting them to Boston College.
BC is joining Virginia Tech in adding more funding and a bigger commitment to football. There is a big difference, however, between the two schools in terms of head coaches. Virginia Tech just landed James Franklin, as he was fired at Penn State.
It would have been easy for Boston College to move on from O’Brien, but they have a very long road ahead of them in rebuilding a program to compete in a conference that is down. Regardless, retaining O’Brien is an interesting decision.
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