Football
- Title:
- Linebackers
- Email:
- obriengv@bc.edu
- Phone:
- 552-3010
A 2005 graduate of Boston College, Dan O’Brien enters his second season as linebackers coach for the Eagles football program.
O’Brien played a significant role in the development of LB Daveon Crouch, who registered 77 tackles, four pass breakups, two sacks and two forced fumbles. Crouch’s 77 total tackles was third-best on the team last season. In addition, team captain Kam Arnold totaled 40 tackles in six games before a season-ending injury in October. Under O’Brien’s guidance, LB Owen McGowan recorded just under 30 tackles in nine games of action.
Before arriving at The Heights, O’Brien spent three seasons at Southern Miss. He began as the safeties coach from 2021-22 before assuming the defensive coordinator role in 2023.
O’Brien spent the two previous seasons at Georgia (2019-20) in defensive quality control. Over his two seasons at Georgia, O’Brien helped the Bulldogs post a 20-4 record, which included a SEC East Division title in 2019 to go along with appearances in the Sugar Bowl and Peach Bowl.
Previously, O’Brien coached five seasons at the Naval Academy (2014-18) as the safeties coach. The Midshipmen went 38-28 in that span with four bowl appearances, including wins over Pittsburgh (2015) and Virginia (2017) in the Military Bowl. In 2015, Navy won a school-record 11 wins and claimed the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy for the third time in four years. The Midshipmen finished that season ranked No. 18 in the country.
O’Brien arrived at Navy following a stop at Elon (2011-13) as defensive backs coach and a four-year spell at Alabama as a defensive graduate assistant (2007-08) and defensive analyst (2009-10). Alabama went 43-11 over that four-year stretch and won the 2009 BCS National Championship.
O’Brien was a student assistant at BC and earned his degree in communications. Upon graduation, he spent the 2005 season with the New England Patriots as a scouting assistant intern.
O’Brien’s father, Tom O’Brien, was the head coach at BC from 1998-06.
He is married to the former Alicia Marcum and they have two sons; Rowan and Charlie.
The O’Brien File
Birthday: February 19, 1982
Alma Mater: Boston College, 2005
Degree: Communications
Family: Wife Alicia, sons Rowan and Charlie
Coaching Career
2024-Present: Boston College, Linebackers
2023: Southern Miss, Defensive Coordinator/Safeties
2021-22: Southern Miss, Safeties
2019-20: Georgia, Defensive Quality Control
2014-18: Navy, Safeties
2011-13: Elon, Defensive Backs
2009-10: Alabama, Defensive Analyst
2007-08: Alabama, Defensive Graduate Assistant
2006: Harvard, Safeties
2005: New England Patriots, Scouting Assistant Intern
