Ex-Texans HC Bill O'Brien Reportedly Expected to Replace Sarkisian as Alabama OC

Former Houston Texans and Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien is reportedly headed back to the NCAA.

According to Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic, O'Brien is expected to have a deal in place in the next few days to replace Steve Sarkisian as Alabama's offensive coordinator.

Sarkisian is headed to Texas to fill the head coaching vacancy.

The Texans parted ways with O'Brien after the team started 0-4 this season.

The 51-year-old wasn't the only fired NFL coach in the running for the gig. Feldman reported last week that Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban was also considering former New York Jets head coach Adam Gase.

Prior to taking over the Texans in 2014, O'Brien was the head coach at Penn State in 2012 and 2013.

In Happy Valley, he transformed the Nittany Lions into one of the Big Ten's best offenses. The squad ranked fourth in total offense each year and second and third in passing offense. He earned a pair of Coach of the Year honors—the George Munger Award from the Maxwell Football Club and the Bear Bryant award—in his first season, when the team went 8-4.

His Penn State experience, coupled with his previous experience as an assistant at Brown, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Duke, should help Alabama—which was contending for the national championship Monday night—put together another successful season.