Bill O’Brien will enter the 2022 season as Alabama’s offensive coordinator — his second year at the position on Nick Saban’s staff.

O’Brien drew some interest from the NFL ranks this offseason, but no job ended up materializing. He drew interest from Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. O’Brien has worked under Belichick before.

So, why didn’t O’Brien end up in New England again? Per a report from Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal, Belichick didn’t want to put his friend, Saban, in a tough position:

“Finally got to the bottom of the Bill O’Brien mystery, and why he’s not back here as offensive coordinator,” Bedard wrote. “A) O’Brien made a two-year commitment to Saban. B) Belichick just wasn’t going to put Saban, his good friend, in the position of giving his blessing on O’Brien leaving.”

The 2 GOAT coaches have been close for a long time, so it’s no surprise there’s a level of respect and trust between them.

We’ll see what O’Brien’s future holds, but this year, he’ll be in Tuscaloosa once again.