Tom Brady and Bill O’Brien shared a dynamic equation during their time together with the Patriots. The duo established clear expectations from the very beginning. After Brady’s ACL tear in 2008, he became particular about his QB coach, especially after Josh McDaniels left the Patriots to join the Bills, which is when O’Brien stepped in.
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During their first meeting in 2009, Tom made his priorities clear by laying the foundation for their dynamic relationship. “Don’t waste my time, and I want to be coached,” he told O’Brien, emphasizing his commitment to improvement. O’Brien reflected on this pivotal moment during his appearance on the Games With Names podcast with Julian Edelman, recalling how their mutual respect and shared goals shaped their time together.
“He (Tom Brady) was out on the West Coast and he came back for OTAs that year, ’09, the year we drafted you (Julian Edelman). I’ll never forget this. He came into my office and said, look, I want to be coached. He’s like, look, don’t waste my time, and I want to be coached,” O’Brien said.
While admitting that “Brady was right”, O’Brien learned quickly about the #12 QB and “what he wanted to know”. For instance, during one of their first meetings, Brady made a specific request about how he preferred to receive information in a summarized manner, as O’Brien recalled:
“I was so prepared. I had this book of computer reports, and I gave it to him. I’m like, Tom, look at this book, and he’s like, what is this? I want one sheet. I want one sheet that tells me boom, boom, boom: first down, second down, third down, boom, fronts, pressures, red area, backed up, the whole thing. I was like, oh my god.”
After that interaction, O’Brien never prepared detailed documents, realizing that Brady wanted to “think quickly” and didn’t want to be a “computer guy.” This incident speaks volumes about Brady’s strategic mindset before each game.
With experience and strategic communication playing key roles, O’Brien also detailed how he created a positive working relationship with Brady as time went by.
O’Brien recalls how he and Brady “got along so well”
O’Brien explained that he and Brady used to prepare their ideas separately, with Brady bringing his thoughts on Tuesdays while O’Brien compiled them and sent them to Brady each night via e-Mail. He then recalled the secret to their successful association.
“He was a guy that if you showed him that you could work with him, like you could take in his input and show him that you could work together to formulate a really good offense, then you were going to have a great relationship. And I think that’s why he and I got along so well because we had our ideas.”
Interestingly, Brady and O’Brien didn’t win a Super Bowl during their stint together, with the next championship win coming in 2015 when O’Brien was with the Houston Texans. Nevertheless, their fruitful association paved the way for Brady to further thrive as an impact-making quarterback.
