TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Just two weeks after helping Alabama to the national championship game, Bill O'Brien's name was flung right into the middle of the NFL rumor mill.

According to NFL Insider Adam Schefter, O'Brien was linked to the offensive coordinator position for the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting him with Josh McDaniels. It would have been his first NFL-coaching job since he was fired by the Houston Texans in 2020, but he opted to return to the Crimson Tide for his second season.

On Sunday, O'Brien opened up about his experience of getting fired and the opportunities Alabama has given him during his tenure.

"It was one of those things where when you get fired in coaching, you find out right away that maybe you don't have as many friends as you thought you did," O'Brien said. "I think when Coach Saban reached out to me and talked to me about this job, they were getting ready for the national championship game. As I talked about it with my wife, Colleen, and our family, I didn't think it was anything that I can pass up to go to have the opportunity to work for the greatest college coach of all time, arguably one of the greatest coaches of any sport."

With O'Brien at the helm, Alabama's offense flourished, finishing at No. 7 in the country averaging 488.2 yards per game and was second in the country in total yardage with 7,323.

His pairing with Bryce Young gained national attention, as the quarterback won the Heisman Trophy, the Davey O'Brien and Manning awards, both given annually to the nation's top quarterback.

O'Brien also had success with quarterbacks in the NFL. While with the Texans, O'Brien coached Deshaun Watson to three Pro Bowl selections as the quarterback eclipsed the 4,000-yard mark twice during his tenure. Before his stint with the Texans, O'Brien worked with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots from 2007-11.

While with the Patriots, O'Brien made two Super Bowl appearances as their offensive coordinator while Brady led the NFL in yards (4,806), completion percentage (68.9), touchdowns (50) and yards per attempt (8.3).

Given his experience and recent success, O'Brien's name is sure to be at the center of future coaching searching moving forward. While the offensive coordinator didn't rule out a possible change down the road, he maintained that his attention remains completely on the job at hand in Alabama,

"I'm very focused on trying to improve this offense each and every day and work with the coaching staff to get better," O'Brien said. "If I'm fortunate enough to have that opportunity again, and who knows if that will come down the pike but if it is, this will be an amazingly invaluable experience for me because you're able, to watch coach (Saban) every single day."