FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Bill O’Brien has agreed to return to the Patriots as their offensive coordinator, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been finalized.

O’Brien spent the past two seasons as offensive coordinator for the University of Alabama. Before that he was the head coach of the Houston Texans from 2014 to 2020, leading them to four playoff appearances before being fired in 2020 after an 0-4 start.

He also served as Penn State’s coach from 2012 and 2013. That followed a four-year stint as a Patriots assistant in which he coached receivers and quarterbacks before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2011.

O’Brien becomes the first official offensive coordinator Patriots coach Bill Belichick has hired since Josh McDaniels left following the 2021 season to go to Las Vegas.

Instead of replacing McDaniels this past season, Belichick got more involved in the offense’s operations. He also made Matt Patricia, an assistant with a long defensive pedigree, the Patriots’ primary offensive play-caller with assistance from quarterbacks coach Joe Judge.

The move was a failure, with second-year quarterback Mac Jones regressing during an underachieving season.