Ask Head Football Coach Tom O'Brien

 Boston College head coach Tom O'Brien hosted a live chat on Wednesday, April 28, 2004.

Boston College's coach hosted a live internet chat on Wednesday, April 28, 2004

In seven years as the Gregory P. Barber and Family Head Football Coach at Boston College, O'Brien has led the program to new heights by instilling his values of integrity, honesty and hard work. His 2003 team finished 8-5, marking the first time in Boston College football history the program has won seven or more games for five consecutive seasons. With their 35-21 victory over Colorado State in the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl, the Eagles are now the only team in America to have won a bowl game for the past four consecutive seasons. The team also won its 40th game over the course of the past five seasons.

Perhaps more impressive, though, is the fact that BC's 95% football graduation rate is the best in Division I-A football, according to data released last fall by the NCAA.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Hello, this is Tom O'Brien and I will start answering your questions now.

John (Cincinnati): Do you feel the move to the ACC in 2005 will be a distraction for the players and coaches this upcoming season?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: No, I don't believe it will be as much of a distraction as last year. I feel last year, with the move being discussed in the spring, it was a positive, then not getting in, then getting in during the year created a great deal of animosity. I think now we can put away all those distractions and concentrate on being the best football team we can be.

Nick Pappas: How has recruiting been influenced by the current move into the ACC? What are you anticipating with the recruitment process next year when Boston College's move is final?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I believe it had a marginal effect last year. It seems, though, this year it has been a positive with many kids. I think they believe, as we do, there are five major conferences, the ACC, the Pac-10, the SEC, the Big Ten and the Big Twelve, and our being in one of the power conferences that will now dominate the national scene is definitely a positive for Boston College.

Tokyo: With the upcoming move to the ACC, do you plan to change your strategy (i.e. gameplan, recruiting)?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I believe we will have to take a look at our game plan & everything else once we become part of the ACC, but that's not something foremost in our thought process right now. In recruiting, I think we must remain as strong or stronger in the same areas as now, but I think the additional national exposure will possibly open doors for us in the future.

Blair (San Francisco): Coach, in light of the recent recruiting infractions by several other programs, I want to know what pressures does entering the ACC with Georgia Tech, Maryland, NC St., and FSU put on your staff to influence recruits to attend BC, and does the change of conferences help or hurt recruiting? You are a widely respected coach throughout the country, and what will you do to ensure this remains your reputation?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I don't believe we will change our recruiting or what we look for in recruits in any way. I don't think that would be acceptable here at Boston College. We have a profile of who we think will be able to succeed here at BC, not only as a student but as an athlete. We will maintain our standards and believe our move to the ACC will help us attract even better student-athletes to Boston College.

Tim (New Jersey): Coach, What aspect of BC Football are you most proud of after being the coach here for 7 years and why? Thanks.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: That, in seven years, we have made steady progress both on and off the football field. We are recognized for our graduation rate being the best in the country last year. I believe we will submit an even higher graduation rate this year. The fact that we have had five winning seasons in a row, have been able to play in five bowl games and win the last four shows consistency that we must have in order to continue to build and get better each year.

Sean (Fairfield, CT.): How big of a role will the offense use David Kashetta at Tight End this season. Will he have to make up for Sean Ryan as well as repeat his solid 2003-2004 or is there someone else that is ready to step up as a second tight end ?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: We are counting on Kashetta to have a great year. He will not have to be Sean Ryan. He has to be David Kashetta. He can be another one in the line of great tight ends to play here at Boston College. We will have to find someone else to step up to take Sean Ryan's place.

Brandon (Swampscott): Coach can talk about Robert Francois the incoming freshman who played at Governor Dummer?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Robert is a player we had in camp. We were very impressed with his abilities in camp. It seems that each time I see him, he's bigger and more imposing physically. I think it's an indication of where our recruiting is going. We have worked hard to become a much faster football team. Now we're also becoming a bigger team. I think Robert is one of the athletes we have recruited who has the ability to come in and help us achieve our goals of being a championship football team.

Steve LeSaffre Melrose: Hi Coach O'Brien, I am concerned about the punting game.As we saw last season,field position was poor at times due to the punt team.If Jeff Gomulinski doesn't return to the team can Dennis Eaton or someone else be productive?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Steve, I am also concerned about the punting game. I believe that next year we will have to use our freshman punter, Ayers, or Dennis Eaton will have to do the punting for us. Johnny is an exceptional athlete, having been a punter, quarterback and free safety in high school and also an exceptional baseball player. We did not plan on him punting this early, but, as I always say, you never know which freshman you'll have to count on, and he's one we may have to depend on this year.

Barry (Denver): What is the possibility of seeing two true freshmen start at kicker and punter this year?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Barry, I just answered Steve about the punting situation. We're very excited about Ohliger coming in as a freshman. He also was a tailback and a very good athlete, and our intent is to have he and Mike Fassel compete. Whoever is the better kicker will be playing in the Ball State game. Jim broke his state record of a 54-yard field goal with a 58-yarder this year, so he has a strong leg and is a very confident young man.

Sean (Newton,Ma): i heard rumors that you are going to redshirt either porter or peterson so that one can be avaible for next year's season. Is this true and if it is, which one are you going to redshirt?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: The rumors you heard are true. It is in the best interest of our football team, and for both the players, that one will play next year with Matt Ryan or Karim El Nokali backing him up, and the other will look at a redshirt year and then compete for the starting job in 2005.

Mark(Nashua): Are you looking forward to the new turf grass and not having to play and practice on astro turf>

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think more important than me looking forward to it is the fact that our team is looking forward to playing on it. We had the chance to play on it at Ford Field in the Motor City Bowl. We had the opportunity to practice on it for three days in our preparation for our bowl game in San Francisco. The Astro Turf was definitely used against us in recruiting the past few years. Many colleges now have gone to Field Turf. The University of Washington and the University of Nebraska both have had Field Turf for more than five years. Michigan has now gone to it. I believe we will be on the cutting edge of having the best playing surface available for our football team. They will begin installation of the Field Turf as soon as commencement is finished here at BC, and it will be ready for fall camp in August.

Steve (Washington, DC): Coach, congratulations on BC's grad rates, you bring a great deal of prestige to BC, and more importantly, you're doing these athletes a great service by helping them finish school. Do you think the recent decision by the BCS to keep the Big East's Automatic Bid for the time being will negate the recruiting advantages that our move the ACC has given us, since most of the Big East teams tend to recruit from the same areas as us? You're probably the wrong person to ask, but in your opinion, is the current Big East as desirable to a recruit as the new ACC now that the BCS bid has been retained? Thanks.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I do not believe it will negate any recruiting advantage our move to the ACC had given us. I'm happy the Big East has retained its connection to a BCS Bowl. But I think the strength of the ACC will still benefit our recruiting efforts. When I came to the Big East in December of 1996, the Big East was having trouble on the national scene. Miami was down, and I think with the explosion of Miami football, it's obvious you need someone to chase at the highest level. Having the opportunity to play Miami, Florida State, some of the other great teams in the league - players want to be challenged. They want the opportunity to play the best teams on national TV. That's one of the reasons I was convinced we should stay with Miami throughout this whole process.

John Deschenes (Dedham): How do you see your team coming out of Spring Practice? Surprises? Strengths?Weaknesses? Thanks.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: First, I believe we had an excellent spring practice. Out of the 15 practices, I think we only had one bad day, so I think we accomplished a lot. Spring practice is still, for me, designed to make individuals the best they can be. I'm not as concerned with the X's and O's, even though that becomes part of spring practice. The most important part is that we improve as individuals. Surprises? I believe Al Washington was making significant strides before his injury. Phil Mettling also stands out. Strengths? I believe we will be a much faster, quicker team in the fall. Weaknesses? Experienced depth. Because of some of the injuries we have suffered, that have cost some people their playing careers here, we will have to have some inexperienced backups in the fall.

Brian (Los Angeles): Coach, how about trying to schedule a series with USC? This could help your recruiting efforts in Southern California and would be much appreciated by your alumni base in California. Or perhaps consistently scheduling Stanford? Thanks for your response.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Brian, I believe that, while it would be nice to have a series with USC or Stanford, the move to the ACC already schedules eight games for us. That will allow us three games a year to schedule non-conference opponents. Obviously we would love to have Notre Dame as one of those opponents, and they will be eight times in the next 10 years. The two years ND is not on the schedule, we do go West of the Mississippi, to play Brigham Young, and they will return the trip here to Boston. With another non-conference game, we would love to play Army/Navy. The other game will depent upon how we can best ensure that we have six home games a year. It's important, especially when we get into a conference as strong as the ACC, that we don't get into a situation where we only have five home games and six on the road. We must guarantee that we have six home games and five on the road once we get into the ACC.

CP (NYC): Coach -- what does the situation look like in the backfield? Who is in contention for the starting tailback/fullback jobs?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: At the conclusion of spring practice, no one jumped out of the pack at tailback. So, going into the fall practice, Whitworth, Ross and Callender will again compete for the job. They will be joined by possibly one or two freshmen as we start fall practice. At the fullback situation, Mark Palmer transferred in and looks to be the odds-on favorite to inherit Greg Toal's position as starting fullback.

Chris (Boston): What are your thoughts on the need to get fans to their seats for kickoff? I know its very important, but the restriction on tailgaiting makes it tough. Thoughts on solutions?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: What many people don't understand is that we do open our parking lots as early as we can in accordance with our license with the city of Boston. It is very important for us that fans get in as early as possible. I'm sure our Athletics Director, Gene DeFilippo, will continue to work very hard to satisfy our fan base, and their desire to tailgate, and my desire to get them into the stands in time for kickoff.

Mark Stanglin (Woodstock, VT): Hello Coach O'Brien: I enjoyed meeting you following the spring scrimmage. Thanks for all your hard work with the team; the results speak for themselves. My question is: Going into the 2004 season with several changes on the o-line and in the backfield, do you anticipate placing more emphasis (than in recent years) on the passing game so as to utilize veteran depth at the receiver and quarterback positions? Thanks and GO EAGLES.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Mark, I think that's what our coaches will have to answer when they get back from recruiting. We will evaluate our talent, and if we have to throw the football more to win this year, we certainly will. The object is to win football games, but I am still confident we will have a solid running game. It will get better as the season progresses, and we will again have a 1,000-yard rusher as we head to another bowl game.

Carlos (Brighton): Tell me about the O-Line, are you nervous this group can't perform, or do you think the tradition of strong O-lines will continue. I think it will be fine, as long as no starters get hurt! thanks.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Carlos, I'm not nervous that this group can't perform. While we are inexperienced at some spots, I am confident in Coach Horton and our player, that they are well aware of the tremendous tradition we have established here at BC; they will want to live up to that tradition and once again be an effective offensive line.

Andy (Newton): How much do you see Brian Toal contributing this season? Do you expect him to start, be primarily a bench player or will he redshirt?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Brian is an incoming player we know very much about. We have watched his progress for four years and feel we have a very, very good football player joining us this fall. The only expectations I have of him are to be the best player he can be; knowing him and his ability, it will be very hard for him not to be a part of our defense this fall.

Alex (New York): What has been done during hte spring to remedy the special teams woes we suffered through last season?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Alex, I don't believe anyone was satisfied with our special teams last year; more specifically, our punting game. The best thing to happen this spring was that Brochu is back, his wrist is fine and he is able to snap the football. That will be a huge boost to our punting unit. We have placed emphasis on special teams. We are one of the few teams that has a special teams coach; Jerry does a great job with his units, and we will be much better in special teams this fall.

Matt T (Clearwater): Why do you think that Derrick Knight wasn't drafted in the draft? He was project a 4-6th round pick.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Matt, the NFL draft is a beauty contest, and beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. We would have loved to have seen Derrick get drafted, but I think there comes a certain point where it's almost better to be a free agent so that you can pick and choose where you will have the best opportunity to make a football team. I think any round after the fourth round, you have as much of a chance to make it as a free agent. We have had many coaches come through to work our players out in the last couple of years, and I don't know if I have ever gotten a true straight answer out of any of them as to where our players would go. Many times a coach will tell you he loves this player and thinks he belongs in a certain round, and if he has the choice, he will make the pick. But a lot of those coaches don't have the pick, it goes back to the general manager, the head coach, and who works best for their team and system. I'm happy for the kids who got drafted, but I'm also happy for the kids who will have the opportunity to go to camp as free agents. The one thing about Derrick Knight is that, for the past two years, he certainly has proven himself to be a tremendous running back at Boston College.

Tom (Andover): Coach, as a long time season ticket holder, I'd like to thank you for putting the program back on very solid ground. Those were painful days before you were hired. The athleticism of the team seems to be getting better every year and I was hoping that with these better athletes, we may be able to open up both the offense and defense. How do you compare the athletes and depth of today versus 5 years ago and are there specific plans to use these better athletes to take more chances and show some more agressive looks? Thanks

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think we are a much more athletic team today than we were five years ago. I believe as we have become more athletic, we have been able to do more things on offense and defense. This past season, we finished second in total defense and second in total offense in the Big East for the first time since I've been here. I think that indicates there are things that maybe aren't as obvious to some people, but we are doing different things than we were. I think as we become more experienced and knowledgeable, we will grow both offensively and defensively.

Shawn, Joliet IL: Coach, what happened with Pat McShane a fellow Joliet Catholic Alum?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Shawn, unfortunately Pat did not live up to our expectations for our football team. We ask that our players be champions in the classroom, champions in the community, and then we can become champions on the football field. He did not make that commitment to our football team, so he will no longer be with our program.

Adam (Boston): What are the thoughts from the football program about the purchase of the Seminary land? Are you hoping for additional practice space on Shea?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think it is a tremendous opportunity for expansion for BC and their needs, especially being the land-locked institution that we are. The president, in his remarks, stated that part of the land would be for athletic teams. I think anything that improves playing fields for any team at Boston College is a great aid. If that gives me more room on Shea Field, I will gladly accept it.

Piazza (Revere): Coach, Blackmon is an amazing player. Is there any chance of getting his speed, agility, smarts and hands on the offensive side of the ball?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: William is an excellent football player; in fact, somewhere in the second quarter in the spring game, I was standing next to him on the sideline and he said 'Coach, can I go play receiver?' and I said 'William, as soon as you learn how to play corner, I'll consider you at wide receiver.' He promptly went out and intercepted three passes. So I can see where his motivation is coming from, to play both sides of the football. And if I felt that it would help us win a football game, I would certainly consider putting him in at wide receiver.

Steve (boston): Can you tell us a little about the new Yawkey Center, in terms of the excitement its creating in the program and potential influence on recruits? Will it be on par with the facilitites of most ACC schools?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: It is a building that we have researched; we have visited a minimum of four to five ACC schools to see what their facilities look like. We feel very confident we will match up with any school in the ACC in terms of recruiting. The Yawkey Center will not only benefit our program, but will benefit many more athletic programs at Boston College by freeing up existing space in Conte Forum. I was part of a similar move at the University of Virginia when we, the football program, moved out of University Hall into the McCue Center, freeing up valuable locker room, meeting and office space for everyone in the Athletics Department.

Horton.Cin.: Commenton coaching job of taking a walkon tight end and getting him to be a fourth round NFL DRAFT pick.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Sean Ryan is a great example of the players we would love to have play for us at Boston College. He suffered a knee injury in high school, went to prep school as a 6-3, 230-pound tight end with the goal of coming to Boston College. He came into our program and worked very hard, playing defense for us initially until we were able to move him back to his natural position of tight end. I don't think anyone has worked harder off the field or on the field as Sean did, and I think his dedication and hard work led to a much-deserved opportunity to be drafted and play in the NFL.

Mike (Providence): Is Blackmon gonna be returning both kickoffs and punts this year, or do you need to rest him for D? Thanks!

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Mike, we have a policy of playing our best players on special teams. William definitely will be returning kickoffs. He worked this spring with Larry Lester returning punts. We haven't settled on a punt returner; if he is the best punt returner, he will be doing that in the fall for us. Those are two ways we can get the ball into his hands, and he may be able to take it all the way and score for us.

Dick (Rockford,IL.): I have been a BC fan all my life and while I am so very proud of the success the program has achieved lately,I am disappointed that the program does not compete at a consistent Top 25 level.Why can't BC be recognized as one of the nations top football programs and still maintain it's academic proficiency? Do you really think that kids around the nation consider a degree from BC that much better than a degree from Michigan,Southern Cal.,Oklahoma or Miami? Can BC football ever reach a consistent Top 25 status within the current administrative attitudes?

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Dick, that is the challenge of our program. That's one of the main reasons I'm here, to maintain and uphold our academic success, yet be a top 20 football team. In looking at the US News & World Report college rankings, and looking in the top 40, where we are, there are 15 schools, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Cal-Berkeley, Virginia, Michigan, UCLA, Wake Forest, UNC, Southern Cal, Wisconsin, Georgia Tech and BC that play football at the highest level. I would say that Michigan has consistently been a top 25 program. USC now has emerged to be a top program. Some schools have been there and fallen out, some have never been there. We have been there, and that is our goal - to maintain the academic standards that we have, yet be a consistent top 25 performer. The thing that is interesting about that list is that five of the schools are ACC schools and the sixth, Notre Dame, is there, who we have the opportunity to play each year. So this is our challenge, and we look forward to becoming a consistent winner at the national level.

Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Thanks to everyone who participated in this chat. We hope you have a safe and happy summer. We will post information shortly before fall camp begins about our next chat, so start thinking about your questions now.

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