Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien is no stranger to the NFL coaching rumor mill and for the second-consecutive season, his name was thrust back into the fray with the Sugar Bowl just days away.

This week, O'Brien's name was linked with the offensive coordinator job with the New England Patriots, a source told Tide Illustrated. In his lone appearance with the media before the bowl game, O'Brien opted to focus

"The focus for me, this coaching staff and many players has really been on these games that we've been playing," O'Brien said. "This game that we have coming up, the games we have played this year, the games that we played last year. I think those things, almost every year I have been coaching over the past 12 years, have come up a lot and those are things that are addressed after the season."

O'Brien said it was "that time of the year" for rumors to begin swirling but mentioned that he hasn't spoken to anyone in New England since last April. Despite the attempts to quell the whispers, they have persisted and grown louder.

The offensive play-caller is in the final season of his two-year deal that he signed in 2021. During his tenure with the Crimson Tide, O'Brien has received a lot of criticism for his decision-making despite leading an offense that ranks 13th in the country with 475.5 yards per game and No. 4 in the FBS in points scored per game, averaging more than 40 in 2022.

"I don't know what the criticism would be," O'Brien said. "We're all trying to do better. We're all trying to do the best we can as consistently as we can. I think over the last two seasons we have been pretty productive. I think we've averaged more than 40 points per game. Are there areas that we can be better at? Certainly, there are always areas we can be better at."

When asked if other NFL teams contacted him as a potential coaching candidate, O'Brien said "I have a lot of friends in the NFL," but reiterated that his conversations with his colleagues haven't progressed into talks of future employment.

He also remained fairly mute on if he's returning to the Alabama coaching staff next season, stating his focus remains on Kansas State.

"I'm really focused on this game and doing the best job that I can with these players and the coaching staff to have a productive offense on Saturday," O'Brien said. "Whatever conversations happen after this game, those will take place when they take place."