Boston College Athletics
Former Football Coach Retires
January 06, 2015 | Football
Chestnut Hill, Mass. - Former Boston College football coach Tom O'Brien announced on Tuesday that he is retiring from coaching collegiate football after 40 years. O'Brien, who led the Eagles from 1997 to 2006, recorded the most wins by a coach in school history with a 75-45 record.
Under O'Brien, BC won six straight bowl games, shared the 2004 Big East title and ranked four times in the final poll. In 2002, the Eagles beat fourth-ranked and undefeated Notre Dame, 14-7, in South Bend for one of the greatest wins in BC football history.
O'Brien moved on from The Heights to NC State, where he was the head coach from 2007 to 2012. The last two seasons he has been the associate head coach and worked with the tight ends at Virginia under Mike London. The Wolfpack went 40-35 during O'Brien's tenure, their best season coming in 2009 when they went 9-4 and finished the season ranked No. 25.
The Cincinnati, Ohio, native began his coaching career as an offensive line and tight ends coach at Navy, his alma mater. He then joined the Virginia staff from 1982 to 1996 as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.
In 1987, O'Brien was inducted into the St. Xavier Athletic Hall of Fame in his hometown as one of the youngest graduates ever selected. He was a three-year starting defensive end for the Midshipmen during his collegiate days. Following his graduation from the Naval Academy in 1971, O'Brien was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marines. He served as an assistant coach for Navy's plebe (freshman) team for one season before being assigned to the Quantico Marine Base in Virginia, where he played on the last Quantico football team. He later served tours of duty in California and Japan. He attained the rank of major in the Marine Corps Reserve.
O'Brien amassed a career 115-80 coaching record, including going 8-2 in bowl games.
