Bill O’Brien: I wish the Patriots well, but “very focused” on the Sugar Bowl

A report last weekend stated that Bill O’Brien is former Texans head coach a major choice to join the Patriots as offensive coordinator after the season, but O’Brien did not provide any indication of his plans Wednesday.

O’Brien said he hasn’t been in contact with the Patriots since visiting the team in the spring and that conversations with NFL teams “will happen when they happen.” For now, Alabama says getting ready to face Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl is his priority.

“I wish them well for the end, still a lot of games they’re gone,” O’Brien said, via AL.com’s Mike Rodak . “But we’re very focused on this game and coaching this team to the best of our ability.”

O’Brien was on Bill Belichick’s New England staff from 2007-2011 and then moved on to become the head coach at Penn State. After two years in State College, he became the Texans’ head coach and went 52-48 with four shutouts before being fired in 2020. His two-year contract with Alabama is up after the bowl game.