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Bill O'Brien Departs Duke Gridiron Staff For New England Patriots
2/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
DURHAM, N.C. -- Bill O'Brien, offensive coordinator at Duke the last two seasons, has accepted a position on the coaching staff of the NFL's New England Patriots.
"Since I have known him, Billy has indicated that coaching in the NFL was a dream of his," said Duke head coach Ted Roof, who also worked alongside O'Brien at Georgia Tech. "Three different NFL teams have offered him jobs since the end of our season, and this is certainly a great opportunity for Billy to fulfill a dream and work with one of the top organizations in professional football.
"Billy also has had opportunities to depart Duke for other colleges, but chose to stay with us as we continue to build the program," Roof continued. "I think it says a great deal about his belief in what we are doing here in that he didn't leave for another school. I appreciate all of his hard work and contributions to the Duke football program."
At Duke, O'Brien mentored a pair of Freshman All-America quarterbacks in Zack Asack (2005) and Thaddeus Lewis (2006). This past season, Lewis completed 180-of-340 passes for 2,134 yards and 11 touchdowns. The passing yardage total ranks first on Duke's single-season chart for rookies and fourth in the ACC annuals.
A 1992 graduate of Brown, O'Brien served as an assistant coach at his alma mater from 1993-94 before joining the staff at Georgia Tech. He was a graduate assistant on offense from 1995-97 before being elevated to coach the running backs for the next three seasons. He served as Tech's offensive coordinator in 2001 and 2002 as the Yellow Jackets won 15 contests and played in two bowl games during that two-year stretch. Prior to joining the Duke staff, O'Brien spent two years coaching the running backs at Maryland, helping the Terrapins to 15 wins and a Gator Bowl win over West Virginia in 2003.
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