Tom O’Brien, who served at Virginia’s associate head coach for offense and tight ends coach for the last two seasons, announced Tuesday he is retiring, ending a career in coaching that spanned four decades.
O’Brien most notably served as the head coach at Boston College from 1997 through 2006 and then at N.C. State from 2007 through 2012 before returning to Virginia in 2013. Before heading north, O’Brien was primarily the offensive line coach for the Cavaliers from 1982 through 1996, serving as the offensive coordinator for his last five seasons.
“I want to thank Mike London for giving me the opportunity to come back and coach at Virginia,” O’Brien said in a statement released by the university. “It is a great university and I have a lot of wonderful memories from my time here with him and with Coach Welsh. I would be remiss if I did not thank the most important people in my life — my wife Jennifer, and our children Colleen, Daniel and Bridget. They were very loving and supportive throughout this entire journey. Through thick and thin, they were always there for me.”
O’Brien, 66, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1971 and spent nine years in the Marines, returning to Annapolis in 1975 as an officer assigned to coach George Welsh’s staff. He resigned his post in 1980 to become a full-time assistant coach, then followed Welsh to Virginia before the 1982 season.
“It’s been a pleasure to reunite with Tom the last two seasons,” London said in the statement. “I was very happy that he and his wife, Jenny, decided to return to Charlottesville and UVa for the finalyears of his coaching career. He was a great mentor when I was on his staff at Boston College and someone I respect tremendously. His retirement is a loss for college football. Tom is a coach who has always done things the right way, stood by his principles and instilled great values in the players he has coached. He’s done all of that while being very successful.”
O’Brien’s contract with the university expired on Dec. 31, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He had a combined record of 115-80 as a head coach, including a program-best 75-45 record at Boston College, and was part of a coaching staff that guided teams to 21 bowl games.
According to Virginia, O’Brien coached or recruited 57 players who had made it to the NFL, including at least one who had won the Super Bowl in eight of the last 11 seasons.
“The most satisfying part of coaching has been our players,” O’Brien said. “To work with all of these young men, to watch them grow and mature and begin careers and start families has been very gratifying. I appreciate the commitment and dedication they each made to reach our team goals everywhere I coached.”
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