Just The Facts – TOB

General NCS Football Tom O'Brien51

Now that multiple media outlets are reporting that Tom O’Brien will be the next head football coach for State, let’s gather up a few facts on the man. Here is his W/L record at Boston College:

Year

Win

Loss

Tie

1997

4

7

0

1998

4

7

0

1999

8

4

0

2000

7

5

0

2001

8

4

0

2002

9

4

0

2003

8

5

0

2004

9

3

0

2005

9

3

0

2006*

9

3

0

* Bowl
Game not included

 

For a historical perspective, here are the records for over 50 years of coaches at BC:

Coach

First

Last

Years

Win

Loss

Tie

Pct.

Michael
J. "Mike" Holovak

1951

1959

9

49

29

3

0.623

Ernie Hefferle

1960

1961

2

7

12

1

0.375

James
H. "Jim" Miller

1962

1967

6

34

24

0

0.586

Joseph
"Joe" Yukica

1968

1977

10

68

37

0

0.648

Ed Chlebek

1978

1980

3

12

21

0

0.364

Jack
Bicknell, Sr.

1981

1990

10

59

55

1

0.517

Tom
Coughlin

1991

1993

3

21

13

1

0.614

Dan
Henning

1994

1996

3

16

19

1

0.458

Tom
O’Brien

1997

2005

9

75

45

0

0.625

Here is BC’s Bowl History with TOB’s years highlighted:

W/L

Date

Opponent

Bowl

L

1/1/1940

Clemson (SC)

Cotton Bowl

W

1/1/1941

Tennessee

Sugar Bowl

L

1/1/1943

Alabama

Orange Bowl

L

12/18/1982

Auburn (AL)

Tangerine Bowl

L

12/29/1983

Notre Dame (IN)

Liberty Bowl

W

1/1/1985

Houston (TX)

Cotton Bowl

W

12/23/1986

Georgia

Hall of Fame Bowl

L

1/1/1993

Tennessee

Hall of Fame Bowl

W

1/1/1994

Virginia

Carquest Bowl

W

12/25/1994

Kansas St.

Aloha Bowl

L

12/31/1999

Colorado

Insight.com Bowl

W

12/25/2000

Arizona St.

Aloha Classic

W

12/28/2001

Georgia

Music City Bowl

W

12/26/2002

Toledo (OH)

Motor City Bowl

W

12/31/2003

Colorado St.

San Francisco Bowl

W

12/30/2004

North Carolina

Continental Tire Bowl

W

12/28/2005

Boise St. (ID)

MPC Computers Bowl

10:45 PM Update

BC Finishes in the Polls

Year

Record

AP Rank

Coach Rank

1939

9/2/2000

11

 

1940

11-0-0

5

 

1942

8/2/2000

8

 

1983

9/3/2000

19

20

1984

10/2/2000

5

4

1986

9/3/2000

19

18

1992

8/3/2001

21

21

1993

9/3/2000

13

12

1994

7/4/2001

23

22

2001

8/4/2000

21

23

2004

9/3/2000

21

21

2005

9/3/2000

18

17

TOB has finished in the top 25, three separate times at BC. State was ranked in the top 25 at the end of the season, once during MOC’s reign and once during Chuck’s.

Comments on this entry will be limited to facts about Tom O’Brien. If you insist on sticking your opinion in the post or wandering away from the expressed subject, your entire entry will be deleted.

Information summarized from the College Football Data Warehouse.

About VaWolf82

Engineer living in Central Va. and senior curmudgeon amongst SFN authors One wife, two kids, one dog, four vehicles on insurance, and four phones on cell plan...looking forward to empty nest status. Graduated 1982

General NCS Football Tom O'Brien

51 Responses to Just The Facts – TOB

  1. Buck 12/06/2006 at 11:37 PM #

    Here’s an interesting (all the more interesting given what has just happened) early season quote about O-Brien and Amato from David Glenn…

    “What makes the Eagles so hard to beat is that they’re extremely well-coached under Tom O’Brien, they have a lot of smart football players, they repeatedly respond well to adversity, and they don’t beat themselves with missed assignments, turnovers, penalties and mental errors. Chuck Amato’s critics often describe his N.C. State teams in opposite terms — …”

  2. packgrad2000 12/07/2006 at 12:02 AM #

    BC fans look to be pretty excited that TOB is gone: http://forheremenaremen.blogspot.com/

  3. Buck 12/07/2006 at 12:15 AM #

    PGrad…A vocal minority of BC fans on that blog maybe. The average BC fan wanted to come up with the money to hang onto the guy.

  4. Woof Wolf 12/07/2006 at 12:34 AM #

    BC scored 26.1 points a game this year and gave up 14.7, considerably better than our 17.5 points for and 21.8 points against. That’s a margin of +11.4 for BC and -4.3 for us against essentially the same competition.

    Since we all have pretty much agreed that we have greater talent, facilities and recruiting potential, we have made a significant upgrade in our Head Coach. Assuming better discipline, therefore less stupid personal fouls, celebration penalties, false starts and illegal formations, we should be a lot better next year, maybe even 9-3 instead of 3-9.

    But Michigan who finished 2nd in their conference scored 30.17 points per game and gave up 14.6 finished with a margin of +15.57. Florida who is playing in the BCS Championship scored 28.85 and allowed 13.5. That is a margin of 15.35. The other team in the big game is Ohio State. They scored 36.3 and allowed 10.4 points per game. Their margin is +25.9.

    Scoring differentials: NCS -4.3, BC +11.4, Fla. +15.35, Mich. +15.57 and, OSU +25.9.

    I believe these are the most important statistics because they ultimately decide who wins. We definitely have upgraded our head coach. The strength of schedule of the other teams can be debated, but it is obvious that there is a gap we still have to cross.

    We made the first step today but OC, DC, and other assistants hires are very important. Let’s do this right.

  5. sautz 12/07/2006 at 7:23 AM #

    “4-22 against teams that finished in the top 25 in 9 years? I know it’s BC, but they are a few rungs up from, say, WFU.

    SFN: This needs some perspective. What has Clemson, State, UVa, etc done against the top-25 over the last 10 years? ”

    I could not find those stats, yet. But from ESPN here are the records of those teams you mentioned vs. teams they played that were in the top 25 when they played them over the last 5 years:

    BC
    6-9

    NCSU
    6-7

    Clemson
    8-8 (the 0-4 in 2001-2002 really hurt them)

    UVa
    5-14

    WFU
    2-14

    So, that stat for O’Brien isn’t as far out of line at all.

  6. Barnette2Holt 12/07/2006 at 7:39 AM #

    Three consecutive 9-win seasons at BC. You have to admit we would be thrilled with that. I see him as a George Welsh disciple. Although Welsh never took UVa to the top, he established a standard of excellence through a long string of consistent winning seasons.

  7. Cardiff Giant 12/07/2006 at 8:07 AM #

    VaWolf, given the general slackness of the later Amato era, what information do you have regarding his coaching philosophy? His teams strike me as well disciplined and largely free of the woofing attitude, but I have only seen them a few times. Thanks.

    Living in VA and working with a bunch of VT grads, I have watched a number of the VT-BC games when they were both in the Big East. I’ve always had the feeling that TOB got better results than you would expect from looking at the roster. 10-6 in his first two years in the ACC says alot to me. Overall, I think that his record proves that he is a top-notch coach. I don’t remember seeing alot of “woofing” and attitude from TOB’s players.

    The questions that I have center around recruiting. How will he recruit NC and the southeast versus UNC, UT, SC, Clemson, VT, UVa etc? Amato held his own in NC while MOC was routinely beaten for top recruits. How will TOB fare? Amato brought in alot of talent and speed from FL. Will TOB continue recruiting that area? Will he retain or hire assistants that will give him an edge down there? Will his contacts throughout the NE still work now that he has moved 700 miles to the south?

  8. Mike 12/07/2006 at 8:49 AM #

    Here is a fact – last year (2005) they beat the snot out of us. Only game Stone lost as a starter, and they flat dominated every aspect of the game, and excpet for one 90 yard pass/run, would have been worse. And they also beat UNC in a bowl game in 2004.

  9. Cardiff Giant 12/07/2006 at 8:51 AM #

    “The questions that I have center around recruiting. How will he recruit NC and the southeast versus UNC, UT, SC, Clemson, VT, UVa etc? Amato held his own in NC while MOC was routinely beaten for top recruits. How will TOB fare? Amato brought in alot of talent and speed from FL. Will TOB continue recruiting that area? Will he retain or hire assistants that will give him an edge down there? Will his contacts throughout the NE still work now that he has moved 700 miles to the south?”

    Probably the biggest specific question, I would think. Obviously we don’t know.

    The best antidote for recruiting problems is WINNING. CTC picked up great NC recruits following the Gator Bowl season and he is hardly a NC strength. Moreover, a run at some top assistants could bring help on the recruiting trail.

  10. statered 12/07/2006 at 8:55 AM #

    TOB is 0 for 3 in the clutch the last three season with losses to Syracuse, UNC, and Wake when a chance for a BCS type bowl were the stakes. In at least 2 of the 3 his team was favored if not all three.

    What people here are failing to realize is that BC fans came to the conclusion that TOB does not have “it.” When the high stakes game is on the line TOB gets ultra conservative and folds like a lawn chair…..Unless this leopard changes his spots five years from now it will be Herb debate part II about the coach who does well enough not to get fired but cannot sack up and get it done when it matters.

    Compare TOB’s big games to Dick Sheridan’s and what conclusions would you draw? How many years did FSU lose to UM in a row? How many times has the UM game been FSU’s only loss? Point being that everyone loses big games…Everyone loses to their rival. The question becomes one of examining the entire record. There are several posts on this entry that already show that TOB has won his fair share of games and doesn’t always lose the big game.

    IF TOB consistently goes 4-0 against OOC cupcakes, and 4-4 in conference (losing to every higher ranked team), then comparisons to Sendek would be valid. Let’s wait and see what unfolds both in Raleigh and in Chestnut Hill. Like most things, time will tell.

  11. partialqualifier 12/07/2006 at 9:12 AM #

    I once heard Bobby Bowden say that he didnt like the debate about who can win the big game and who cant. The line he used fits NC State very, very well. He said that “a big game is only a big game if you have won the 8 or 9 before it.” Of course as aways Coach Bowden was exactly right. We are talking about a guy who has trouble in big games, and we havent even PLAYED in a “big game” in almost 20 years. Let’s win 9 or 10 games an get to some “big games” before we bitch about not winning them.

  12. Cardiff Giant 12/07/2006 at 9:13 AM #

    ^ While not trying to violate the thread rules, I agree with everything you say, barring the fact that Ohio State was definitely a big game IMHO.

  13. Mr O 12/07/2006 at 9:46 AM #

    This came from a BC poster(who is the team that is 12-0 and in the BCS that they have beaten? Ohio St in a bowl game?):

    All of what you know about his record is true. He has lost some games that were very costly.

    But focus on this if you are an NCST fan.
    In the last 13 games BC has played they have beaten 2 conference champions, the MAC and Mountain West.

    They have beaten a team that is 12 and 0 and in the BCS.

    They have beaten 6 teams with 8 wins or more and 3 teams with 10 wins or more.

    Any other coach with this record would be on the national stage.

    I also think he is a hell of a recruiter as you will soon find out.

  14. Mr O 12/07/2006 at 9:46 AM #

    Nevermind, they beat Boise St.

  15. redfred2 12/07/2006 at 9:51 AM #

    Just to be clear….I am not interested in whether something is positive or negative. I am trying to gather useful information and too many people only want to argue opinions or be cute. Why someone becomes emotionally invested in someone who hasn’t even been offered a job at NCSU is beyond me. I can’t change it, but I can keep it off this thread.

  16. ShootingGuard 12/07/2006 at 11:00 AM #

    It’s funny…You hear all kinds of State fans screaming wanting to hire Jim Grobe and yelling at Chuck about penalties, etc…Well, if this goes through, we just got a very good coach like Jim Grobe who stresses discipline and limiting mistakes and, unlike Chuck, will likely get the best out of his players…If TOB can really recruit, things could end up very well for us…I mean, seriously, what does it matter if Chuck got all of the best players in Florida when you win just 3 games with them?? If TOB can get State to regularly winning 8 or 9 games a year, then you have the chance to play in big games. If you play in enough big games, you will win some of them…Tom Osborne, Bobby Bowden, and plenty of other “now greats” were accused of not having “it” or being able to win the “big one” for years…Will TOB be “great” in the end? Who knows, but let’s get to 8 or 9 wins every year and see what happens from there…Bobby Bowden said after beating Mack Brown and UNC in a very close ballgame one year that the difference was that UNC just hadn’t been in that big a game enough times to know how to win it as he had learned the hard way too many times…Well, neither BC nor State has a history of playing in, much less winning, big games…So, again, let’s get to 8 or 9 wins every year and see what happens…This is not the glamour hire that State fans dreamed about in Bill Cowher, but it would be a lot better than I feared out of Lee Foulup…Also, how exciting was Bill Cowher as a hire in Pittsburgh BEFORE he guided them to division, conference, and super bowl titles??

    Can TOB coach?? Definitely. Does TOB stress the discipline, etc. that has been sorely lacking at State under Amato?? Yep. Can TOB recruit like he needs to here?? We’ll see. Can TOB, like Jim Grobe, get the most out of the players he does bring in?? Sure seems to…

    Finally, I used to live in Boston and spent some time around Boston College, and it is a very tough place to recruit to, so I am not sure what you can draw from some of TOB’s “failings” in “big games.” You can squeak in a few marginal student-athletes like BC’s basketball team does but not enough to fill what is needed for a football team lineup of offense, defense, and special teams. BC is in the burbs. Boston is a pro town that cares little about college sports. It’s cold and gray 9 months of the year. BC is a very, very, very poor man’s Notre Dame in a lot of ways, getting the football recruiting scraps ND leaves on the table in their built in jesuit market. Etc. Etc. Etc.

    I won’t bother saying who I would have rather had than TOB, but, if TOB can establish State as a consistent winner in or around the top 25 every year, then that is a lot better—and something that a future guy could build on from there—than being up and down from year-to-year or a flash in the pan with the luck of finding a great future pro quarterback whose home state teams wanted to make into a tight end…

    How many big games did Dick Sheridan win? I would sure as hell take Dick Sheridan results right now than the “results” we saw just before him and ever since…

  17. YankeeWolfpacker 12/07/2006 at 11:00 AM #

    2006 Turnover Margin

    BC +15

    NCST -11

  18. Eaglefan02 12/07/2006 at 12:09 PM #

    Also, in case any of you are interested, TOB is one of the coach’s profiled in “Every Week a Season” by Brian Curtis, an author who spent a week at 9 or 10 CFB schools over the course of a year. I don’t remember anything earthshattering from it, but the chapter title for TOB’s is “The Guard on the Watchtower”, which if I remember correctly is the perception that he doesn’t personally direct practice so much as act more like the patriarch of the team, observing and directing from a more removed position.

  19. RedTerror29 12/07/2006 at 12:11 PM #

    Another interesting tidbit about TOB. There apparently is no buyout due to a provision in his contract that allows him to leave for another ACC school (and we’re getting accused of poaching him!?). It looks like we got a coach on the cheap, which is very good if he delivers on the field.

    http://www.wfmynews2.com/sports/article.aspx?storyid=76271

  20. GAWolf 12/07/2006 at 12:33 PM #

    http://bostoncollege.rivals.com/commitlist.asp?school=9

    O’Brien’s verbals for 2007: below are all the three stars (3 being the highest rated – – note only three are from mass and the rest are from all over the country… including a 2 star receiver out of Charlotte named Dominic Magazu)

    Corey Gatewood WR 5-11/175 5.7 (3 star)
    Kenny Plue OL 6-7/352 5.7
    Devon Ramsay RB 6-2/242 5.7
    Will Thompson LB 6-1/230 5.7
    Nick Schepis OL 6-3/273 5.6
    Dan Williams LB 6-3/228 5.6
    Billy Bennett K 6-1/191 5.5
    Dan Mulrooney DB 6-1/190 5.5
    Michael Peterson DB 5-11/190 5.5
    Arthur Ray Jr. OL 6-2/297 5.5

    Our verbals for 2007 so far:

    Jay Smith WR 6-4/200 5.8 (4 star)
    George Bryan TE 6-6/250 5.6 (3 star)
    Linwan Euwell DE 6-2/210 5.6
    Steven Howard WR 6-3/180 5.6
    Sam Jones DT 6-5/262 5.6
    Desmond Roberts OL 6-5/265 5.6
    Dominique Ellis DB 5-11/181 5.5
    Curtis Bryant DT 6-3/270 5.3 (2 star)
    Henry Lawson OL 6-3/289 5.3
    J.R. Sweezy E 6-4/230 5.3

  21. Pack Laddie 12/07/2006 at 1:16 PM #

    Fact—O’Brien has 4 9 win seasons in the last 5 years. NC State has had 7 9+ win seasons in its football history.

  22. tvp 12/07/2006 at 2:04 PM #

    Fact – TOB is 15-6 over the last three years against teams that went to bowl games.

    Fact – BC beat two teams this year that won 10 games.

  23. 98st8 12/07/2006 at 2:45 PM #

    Recruiting Vs. Final Record
    Recruiting Ranking by Scouts.com
    2003 NCSU 9th BC 27th
    2004 NCSU 20th BC 42nd
    2005 NCSU 23rd BC 58th
    2006 NCSU 42nd BC 44th
    2007 NCSU 42nd BC 46th

    Out of the previous five years BC has 44 wins, Not sure how many total wins we had in the last five years but I do know that it is quite a bit less than 44 and with much better talent. TOB is doing more with less in BC, lets see what he can do with better talent.

    We averaged a recruiting class ranked around 27 and that was their highest class. Their average was 43

  24. Mr O 12/08/2006 at 10:52 AM #

    TOB:
    * won 9+ games in 4 of last 5 years
    * won 8+ games in 7 of last 8 years
    * 52-22 in last 6 seasons (.702)

    CTC:
    * won 9+ games ONCE in 7 years at NCSU
    * won 8+ games 3 of last 7 seasons
    * 41-33 in last 6 seasons (.554)

    BD:
    * won 9+ games in 4 of last 6 seasons (of college FB)
    * won 8+ games in 5 of last 6 seasons (of college FB)
    * 51-20 in last 6 seasons (.71

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Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. StateFans Nation » Blog Archive » A BC fan takes the FTOB guys to the woodshed - 12/09/2006

    […] A lot of Pack fans have bought into the Tom O’Brien “plateau” argument. SFN has already given some good statistical insight into the new coach, which I see no need to recreate now. Although they aren’t nearly as widespread as the wishful thinkers at the local Raleigh dishwipe would have you believe, there are some Pack fans who are upset at the idea of hiring a coach from a BCS school who has shown consistent and steady improvement in his W/L record while not looking or acting ridiculous and fielding teams of kids who keep their noses clean and leave the institution with diplomas. The fallback has already become, Wull, look, there’s a Fire-TOB web site, and the BC fans are celebrating — ’nuff said! […]

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