Boston College is officially in the market for a new offensive coordinator heading into the 2026 season, as Will Lawing is set to leave the program - with the Chicago Bears emerging as a likely destination.
Lawing’s departure marks the end of a long-running coaching partnership with Bill O’Brien, one that’s spanned over a decade and multiple stops at both the college and NFL levels. Their journey together began at Penn State in 2013, where Lawing got his coaching start as a graduate assistant.
From there, he followed O’Brien to the Houston Texans, climbing the ladder from defensive quality control to offensive analyst and eventually tight ends coach. When O'Brien moved on to Alabama, Lawing was right there with him, continuing to develop his offensive acumen as an assistant in Tuscaloosa.
In 2023, the duo reunited again in Foxborough, with Lawing taking over tight ends duties for the Patriots. Then came the move to Chestnut Hill in 2024, where Lawing assumed the offensive coordinator role under O'Brien at Boston College.
Now, Lawing appears to be heading back to the NFL, with Chicago as a potential landing spot - and there’s a personal connection that makes this move even more intriguing. He was a college teammate of Bears head coach Ben Johnson at North Carolina.
Both were walk-ons - Lawing a wide receiver, Johnson a quarterback - and their shared background could be a factor in this reunion. With the Bears’ coaching staff undergoing some changes, including the departure of running backs coach Eric Bieniemy (who’s returning to Kansas City), Lawing could be in line to step into that role or another offensive staff position, depending on how things shake out.
During his two-year stint with the Eagles, Lawing’s results were a mixed bag. In 2024, he did a solid job tailoring O’Brien’s pro-style scheme to the college game, adjusting to a rotating cast of quarterbacks and leaning heavily on a veteran offensive line to power the run game. That season saw flashes of promise from Tommy Castellanos, Grayson James, and Dylan Lonergan - three quarterbacks with very different skill sets, all of whom had moments where they looked like the future of the program.
The run-first approach worked well in 2024, and several skill players made noticeable strides in their development. But 2025 told a different story.
The offense struggled to find consistency, particularly at quarterback. Castellanos couldn’t shake a mid-season slump marked by turnovers, James had trouble producing against top-tier competition, and Lonergan regressed once defenses got enough tape to expose his tendencies.
The run game, once the offense’s backbone, fell apart early in the season. Lawing’s play-calling came under scrutiny - at times overly reliant on certain concepts, and not always maximizing the talent on hand.
With Lawing’s exit, O’Brien now faces his second major coordinator hire of the offseason. On the defensive side, Ted Roof has already stepped in to replace Tim Lewis following a rough year for that unit.
And offensively, the changes go far beyond just the coordinator. The quarterback room is being rebuilt, the offensive line is getting a facelift, and new position coaches for running backs, receivers, and linemen have all been brought in over the last few weeks.
This level of turnover suggests a possible shift in philosophy for O’Brien. For years, Lawing was viewed as an extension of his system - a loyal lieutenant executing O’Brien’s vision.
With Lawing gone, there’s now an opportunity to bring in a fresh voice, someone who might offer a new perspective or approach to play-calling. That could be exactly what this offense needs as it enters a new era with a revamped roster and coaching staff.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that O’Brien, a seasoned play-caller in his own right, decides to take the reins himself. But regardless of who ends up calling the plays, one thing is clear: Boston College's offense is undergoing a full-scale reboot, and the next hire at coordinator will play a major role in shaping what it becomes.