Coach “O’B” begins his second season with the Owls and his 41st season overall coaching at the high school and collegiate level. O’Brien graduated with a BA in Physical Education from Maryville College and an MEd in Education Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University. He most recently was the defensive secondary coach and special teams coordinator at Hendrix College in Conway, AR. He started his career as a graduate assistant in 1985 at the University of Minnesota under the legendary coach Lou Holtz. O’Brien spent the next nine years coaching at various levels at Austin Peay, University of North Alabama, Maryville, Kent State University, and University of Tennessee.
O’Brien spent the next 29 years at the high school level. He began in his home state of Florida before moving to Tennessee to be the head football coach and assistant athletic director at St. Benedict at Auburndale High School. After SBA, he coached football and girls track at St. Patrick’s High School in Biloxi, MS. He returned to Tennessee and spent the next 10 years at Tipton-Rosemark Academy as an assistant football coach, head football coach, dean of students, and interim athletic director. He semi-retired for two years from teaching and coaching at the high school level to go overseas and coach American football in Poland in the Polish Football League (PFL) for two seasons with both of his teams making the playoffs.
