Bill O'Brien hired a young graduate assistant named Will Lawing in his second season at Penn State.
Lawing had just wrapped up his second year as a small college offensive coordinator at Juniata (D-III - PA) and the young up-and-comer was selected for a graduate assistant job with the Big Ten program.
The years to come saw Lawing follow O'Brien to the Houston Texans, where he started off in a defensive quality control role before becoming an offensive analyst for two seasons, earning a promotion to tight ends coach ahead of the 2019 season.
Lawing would follow O'Brien to Tuscaloosa as part of Nick Saban's staff in 2021, spending two seasons there before a brief trip back to the NFL to coach the Patriots tight ends while O'Brien served as offensive coordinator during the 2023 season.
When O'Brien returned to college football as the head coach at Boston College, Lawing was his choice to serve as offensive coordinator.
But now, Lawing is leaving O'Brien's staff for an opportunity to return to the NFL, according to a report.
CBS Sports shares that the Eagles offensive coordinator the past two seasons is set to depart the program, and lists Ben Johnson's Chicago Bears as a potential landing spot for the 40-year old.
Boston College enjoyed a 7-6 debut season under O'Brien in 2024, ending with a loss in The Pinstripe Bowl. That year ended with the Eagles ranked 67th nationally in points per game, at just over 28 points per contest,
But fortunes changed in the 2025 season, coinciding with the departure of standout quarterback Tommy Castellanos who transferred to Florida State, and the Eagles struggled to a 2-10 finish. The offensive production dipped a bit to just over 25 points per game, ranking 85th nationally while finishing 127th out of 136 teams in rushing offense at 104 yards per game, which was a long way from where they finished in 2024 at 59th nationally.
The program's struggles in 2025 forced O'Brien to answer questions about his job security for a good chunk of the season, especially as the year drew to a close, prompting him to make a number of changes to the coaching staff immediately as the season concluded.
O'Brien brought in alumnus and former Auburn assistant GM Kenyatta Watson as the team's new general manager, and also opted to part ways with defensive coordinator Tim Lewis in early December.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for all the latest.