Boston College HC Talks Michigan State, Red Bandana Game
Bill O'Brien is in his first season as the head coach at Boston College and is heavily preparing for the Michigan State Spartans to come to town for the 11th annual Red Bandana game this Saturday.
Nicknamed "Teapot," O'Brien possesses 16 years of college coaching experience across six different programs. He also adds 11 seasons of NFL coaching to the resume, most notably as the head coach of the Houston Texans from 2014-'20.
This will be the first time he will face the Spartans in his 29-year coaching career. He had a focused outlook on this week's matchup, crediting the Spartans in a myriad ways, highlighting their physicality.
“They're good, very physically tough football team," O'Brien said in a press conference on Tuesday. "Coached very well, they run the football on offense, they can throw the ball down the field, quarterback [Aidan Chiles] is really a good player. Defensively, very very physical, big time challenge, big guys on special teams, it's going to be a physical ball game no question about it. We've got to be ready for that because they are a very physical Big 10 Team."
The former Penn State head coach spent the 2012-'13 seasons at the helm of the Nittany Lion program and has experience in the B1G . O'Brien was 10-6 against B1G opponents in those two years without ever facing the Spartans.
Saturday's meeting brings the "Red Banana Game," honoring Welles Crowther, a BC alum who lost his life assisting people to safety in the tragic 9/11 attacks in 2001. O'Brien spoke on his appreciation for the game and his first experience donning the red bandana in Crowther's honor.
“I think as the head coach, you're the leader of the program and this game will be played forever because of what it means to Boston College and to the Crowther family.” O’Brien said. “So for me, in my time here, it'll be making sure that our players understand the meaning of the game and making sure that our team's prepared to go out there and play well in honor of Welles’ memory. I think that's a big deal and so I see myself in that role as making sure that everybody understands what this game's all about.”
The Boston College football team will wear red bandana-inspired uniforms this weekend to honor the memory of Welles Crowther.
— Only In Boston (@OnlyInBOS) September 18, 2024
"They didn't know his name. They didn't know where he came from. But they knew their lives had been saved by the man in the red bandana." pic.twitter.com/HeIKmd68CP
This will be the first meeting between both head coaches as O'Brien has never squared off against the Spartans' Jonathan Smith. Two individuals with years of coaching experience will put their schemes to the test in an evenly-matched contest in a game that means more than football.
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