Bill O'Brien won't be changing Alabama's offensive scheme

After spending seven seasons in the NFL as the Houston Texans head coach, Bill O’Brien has returned to college football. The new Alabama offensive coordinator is excited about the opportunity to work under head coach Nick Saban. O’Brien said that he will continue to run Alabama’s offense instead of installing his own offensive scheme.

O’Brien: Offenses change year-to-year

Alabama’s offense will certainly look far different under O’Brien than it did in the perfect 13-0 season in 2020. Quarterback Mac Jones, running back Najee Harris and receivers Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith are among the offensive players that departed the Crimson Tide in the offseason. Now, sophomore Bryce Young is set to take over at quarterback. In the end, the only changes in Alabama’s offensive scheme will be because of personnel changes on the field.

“Each coordinator has put his own touch on it,” O’Brien said via AL.com’s Mike Rodak. “Every year’s different. I think in the end, it comes down to who your players are, what they do best, who you quarterback is, what can he do best and what’s best for the team. So no year is like any other year, so this year will be very different than any other year, and that’s just the way it is in football.”

O’Brien’s coaching experience includes multiple stops as offensive assistants in the early stages of his career. He has been the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, Duke, and with the New England Patriots. O’Brien has also been the head coach at Penn State and with the Texans. Now, O’Brien gets his shot to run one of the best offenses in college football at Alabama.

Play calling will vary game-by-game

O’Brien reiterated his belief that offensive schemes change each year when asked about his style as a play caller.

“I think again it varies from year-to-year based on the type of offensive philosophy that you have,” he said. “It depends on how the game’s going. I don’t think you can really label anybody like, “hey this is what type of play caller he is.’ It’s such a game-to-game process.

“From one game to the next, the defenses that you’re facing are different. The offense that you have may change from game to game. So I don’t think there’s anything where you can just say, label this, label that. I’m not really into labels. I’m just trying to do what’s best for Alabama and this football team.”

O’Brien and Alabama will be hoping that their offense remains as dominant this season as it has been in previous years. Expectations are as high as ever following last season’s undefeated campaign.  

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