The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Tom O'Brien

Followed Chuck Amato. Tom O'Brien slid NC State from National Program I to National Program II in 6 seasons.

Peak, then fade
115–80
1997–2012 · 2 stints
Boston CollegeNC State
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Career arc

His real stature score, season by season, across every program he’s coached — so a stretch that stays in one tier the whole way can still climb or sink on the line, not just flatten out. Node color marks the tier reached. Which program a stretch belongs to is carried by the shaded lane behind it.

Stature score reached, by season of his head-coaching careerBOSTON COLLEGENC STATEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelBoston College, 1997: 4-7, National Program III1997Boston College, 1998: 4-7, National Program IIIBoston College, 1999: 8-4, National Program IIIBoston College, 2000: 7-5, National Program IIIBoston College, 2001: 8-4, National Program IIBoston College, 2002: 9-4, National Program IIBoston College, 2003: 8-5, National Program IIBoston College, 2004: 9-3, National Program IBoston College, 2005: 9-3, National Program IBoston College, 2006: 9-3, Power Program III2006+8.4NC State, 2007: 5-7, National Program II2007NC State, 2008: 6-7, National Program IINC State, 2009: 5-7, National Program IINC State, 2010: 9-4, National Program IINC State, 2011: 8-5, National Program IINC State, 2012: 7-5, National Program II2012-4.6One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 10th career season — faster than 7% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #356 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Boston College, 10 seasons
+8.4
National Program III → Power Program III.
NC State, 6 seasons
−4.6
National Program II → National Program II.

The big-game ledger

How he does in the games that matter most — rivalry record, performance broken out by real opponent tier, one-score games, and his toughest historical matchup.

7–2 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against Larry Coker.

Rivalry record
7–2
77.8% · 2 rivals
One-score games
42–30
58.3% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
5–14
26.3%
Rivalry ledger
North Carolina5–183%
East Carolina2–167%
The toughest matchup
vs. Larry Coker0–4
4 meetings, 2001–2006
’01 L’02 L’03 L’06 L
0% win rate across a real, 4-meeting series — short of the bar this site uses before badging a series “Nemesis.” Shown here as the toughest matchup on record, not an algorithmic crown.
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
5–14 26.3%
Power Program
22–28 44.0%
National Program
32–25 56.1%
Regional Program
46–12 79.3%

Coaching career

2007–2012
NC Statecaretaker
National Program I → National Program II
Tom O'Brien slid NC State from National Program I to National Program II in 6 seasons.

8th-best NC State tenure of 15 by the numbers.

Followed Chuck Amato (2000–2006) · succeeded by Dave Doeren (2013–2026).

Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows K from high school
100%
#52 of 56 stints
Grows Tight end from high school
100%
#164 of 188 stints

18 NFL Draft picks: DeMarcus Tyler (2007), A.J. Davis (2007), Leroy Harris (2007), DaJuan Morgan (2008), DeMario Pressley (2008), Anthony Hill (2009), Andre Brown (2009), Ted Larsen (2010) + 10 more

40–35
1997–2006
Boston Collegecaretaker
National Program II → Power Program III
Tom O'Brien moved Boston College from National Program II to Power Program III in 10 seasons.

7th-best Boston College tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Dan Henning (1994–1996) · succeeded by Jeff Jagodzinski (2007–2008).

23 NFL Draft picks: Stalin Colinet (1997), Daryl Porter (1997), Todd Pollack (1998), Matt Hasselbeck (1998), Damien Woody (1999), Mike Cloud (1999), Doug Brzezinski (1999), Chris Hovan (2000) + 15 more

75–45