Potential Bucs Offensive Coordinator Candidate Hired By Patriots

When the Bucs fired offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich after four seasons last week, former Texans head coach and current Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’ Brien was named by Pewter Report and others as one potential replacement.

You can now take O’ Brien’s name off the board, as he is re-joining the Patriots as their offensive coordinator, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday. He previously spent time in New England from 2007-2011 before a stint as Penn State’s head coach and a six-year spell as the Texans’ lead man from 2014-2020.

O’Brien spent the last two seasons at Alabama, working under Nick Saban. Now, he heads back to the northeast to serve as Bill Belichick’s offensive coordinator once again after a tumultuous season for the Patriots’ offense. He’ll work with quarterback Mac Jones, who he previously coached with the Crimson Tide.

Part of the appeal that would’ve come with O’Brien joining the Bucs was his history of working with Tom Brady, who is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Bucs aren’t necessarily going to chase a coordinator with the sole purpose of luring Brady back for another year, but hiring one who has worked with the legendary quarterback before still seemed like a smart play.

Of course, now that O’Brien has returned to the Patriots, there will continue to be speculation about Brady returning along with him after three seasons away with the Bucs. Though on the latest edition of his “Let’s Go!” podcast, the quarterback made it pretty clear that he doesn’t know his plans for 2023 right now.

Bucs Need To Act Fast In Coordinator Search

Of course, the Bucs don’t want to rush into hiring a new offensive coordinator. Head coach Todd Bowles needs to get this hire right if he wants to set himself — and the team — up for success after seeing offensive production sputter to the tune of just 18.4 points per game in 2022.

But with that being said, there does need to be some sense of urgency with the process due to the number of coordinator openings around the league. Although O’Brien heading back to the Patriots takes one opening away, there are still six other teams in need of an offensive coordinator. That’s not including the several teams who will need to hire one after they find their new head coach.

One of those teams reportedly has interest in Leftwich, who the Bucs parted ways with last week. But there are some attractive openings out there that top coordinators are bound to be interested in, so Bowles and the Bucs brass need to act with some urgency to get someone in place before the offseason kicks into full swing.

As Pewter Report‘s Scott Reynolds wrote in this week’s Bucs Monday Mailbag, the team should likely begin interviews for its open coordinator position this week, though the hiring process could carry over into next week when the league gathers in Mobile, Alabama, for the Senior Bowl.

Former Bucs and Browns offensive coordinator — and current Georgia play caller — Todd Monken is a name who is in the mix, though Pewter Report reported Monday that as of Saturday, Monken had yet to hear from the team.

As always, stay tuned to Pewter Report, as we’ll keep you dialed in to anything and everything related to the Bucs’ offensive coordinator search.

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