Football: Bill O'Brien on ACC Road Trip Show (Aug. 16, 2024)

let's welcome in a guy who needs no introduction to the folks up here in Boston first year head coach for BC Bill O'Brien coach we just heard from Donovan asaru about how he has High Hopes thinks this could be a 10- win team and even make it into the ACC Championship what is the identity that you want this team to establish in year one yeah I think I think like the the way that we're working right now is is is the road to establishing that identity we we want to be a smart team we want to be a physical football footb team we want to be a team that's made up of good teammates that care about each other and and really like people use this phrase a lot and it is true like they'd understand our process and how we want to you know try to get better each and every day and I think if we stay on that road which these guys are doing you know in training camp this will be our 12th practice you know I think I think we'll we'll we'll be where we want to be but in the end we have to take it day by day that's a big deal coach I know you're well into training camp but from your experience obviously in NFL you won Super Bowls you won Playoff games and then obviously had a great success in college what's the difference in trying to develop a Pro versus developing a college player yeah I'll tell you that's a great question somebody asked me that the other day and and you know in in college you can spend more time with these guys you really do you have more time you know in the pros after 2011 as you know that CBA kind of changed everything relative to the development of players so we we're able to spend a lot of time with them obviously on the field but in the meeting room uh walkthroughs but also like off the field Player Development things that we do with these guys we've had a lot of uh good guest speakers in we had Chris Heron in the other day so you know to me it's all about like day by day and teaching them what we believe is important relative to Boston College relative to football but also like their Futures and so I think we we have a really good staff a great support staff around these guys a really good coaching staff and like I said I think you know we're early we've only been here for 6 months we got hired in February but you know I think we're on the right track and every day just trying to get better you know from a quarterback perspective or an offensive perspective you've coached all sh and sizes varying you know levels of athleticism you inherit Thomas castalanos and obviously Dynamic with his feet I believe he's an undervalued passer I think when he can throw the football where have you seen his development over the LA you know from the winter conditioning to Spring to Summer to the 12th day here in practice how has he developed I think what you just said is where he's probably developed uh the most is in his ability to uh you know throw the football his footwork gotten better his understanding of protections has gotten better his understanding of coverage has gotten better you know I was telling you guys before we came on you know he comes over here at about 6:00 a.m. 6:30 every morning and he goes through the script with with the uh quarterback coach Jonathan diaso they they do that every single morning so he has bought into the preparation as you know that it takes to be a successful quarterback at this level and obviously at the next level and I think that's something if he continues to do to me like that's that's what's so important to me if you do that and you do that every every single day and you have a routine like that you're going to get better you guys know that like you're going to get better and so I think he's really improved in the passing game he's an electric Runner I mean he's he can he's really good he's fun you you can't wait to come to practice to watch him practice he's that type of player like we we love coming to practice and with him as a quarterback of course he's a leader but who in the defense have been stepping up as far as leaders and just showing up as as players yeah Don you know up front obviously Donovan has done an unbelievable job he had a great practice yesterday I mean he he brought it yesterday he kind of dominated the practice and uh you know he's a hard guy to block we move him around we line him up in different spots cam horley's had a good camp our inside tackle uh cam Arnold and Bam Crouch at linebacker have had good camps our two corners I think are very good players um Amari Jackson and Max Tucker and then we have a safety named KP price who I think's going to be a good young player in this league so I'm happy with where we are with where we are these guys have you know I think two days ago we had a scrimmage I would say the offense got the better of the defense I think that made the defense kind of angry and they up in a bad mood yesterday and that's kind of what you want to see like can we keep yeah the competition keep upping the standard of what we're looking for out on the field bill I want to get back to Thomas because he speaks about you in a very glowing way only six months with him and he's already saying that you're one of the greatest things that have happened to him in his career how are you able to develop that trust with him I appreciate him saying that we spent a lot of time together early on I I would say like right now he spends more time with Will long and Jonathan deaso and Camp you know but but I I do know that we've spent a lot of time like we spent a lot of time we we had a good meeting after the spring game you know we talked about a lot of things after the spring game and I think that was was a meeting that kind of helped us in our relationship and he has a lot of trust he knows that you know I'm putting the work in in my role to try to help him and the team get better and I know that I'm you know I trust that he I see I just told you you know he's out here every morning going through the script I trust that he's you know trying to prepare every single day to be the type of player that we need him to be so there's a good trust that's being built with both of us you talk about getting to spend time with the players at this level it's different than it is at the National Football League level but it's also far more players far more elements going on around their lives what do you know about this team now that you didn't know when you took the job I've been impressed with this team Tom as far as like their work ethic they're they their buyin okay I mean um you know everybody comes in new coach comes in has a different way of doing things whether it's in a weit room or on the practice field um doesn't mean that the last coach Jeff Halley did a really good job I mean this I spoke to Jeff Halley uh before I took the job and he was awesome we spoke a couple times and he said this was probably going to be his best team coming back and and you know I can see what he meant because these guys work they work there's Talent uh they they understand what we're trying to get done they're smart they're on time nobody's been late to any meetings you know um you know they're buying into what we want them to do on campus you know they're getting better with you know going to class being on time sitting in the front row doing the things we ask and then they do a lot in the community these guys give back to the community a lot that's what Boston college is really all about it's a man for others so these guys do a lot of that and I think I've been very impressed with that fun coaching good kids right it is man it it's no there it's it's fun to come to practice every day I think you'll see that like this will be a tough practice cuz this will be four in a row uh full pads today but it's fun because our coaching staff enjoys being around these guys we enjoy being around these guys it's been it's been a lot of fun to be with this team well we're looking forward to seeing practice thanks for the hospitality coach thank you guys appreciate you being here thank just getting started from fishi tow still a lot more to discuss and guess