Montana State Northern Lights & Skylights Athletics

Joe O’Brien (2nd Season)
Associate Head Football Coach/Defensive Coordinator
 
Coach O’Brien brings 27 years of coaching experience as well as 8 years as a player at the collegiate and professional levels.  He most recently served as Defensive Consultant at Southern Oregon University under Defensive Coordinator Jerome Souers in 2020-2021.
 
O’Brien has coached at the High School, College, and Professional Level.  By 2011, Simms High School had won just 3 games in 10 years.  In 2012, O’Brien was named the new Head Football Coach and the Tigers finished the regular season with a record of 8-1 and went 1-1 in the state playoffs.  The performance earned O’Brien the Montana Midseason Coach of the Year as the team celebrated 13 All Conference players, 3 All State selections, 3 All Star participants and 1 Shrine Game participant.
 
In 2011, O’Brien was appointed Assistant Head Coach of the Wenatchee Valley Venom of the Indoor Football League where he also served as Defensive Coordinator and Pro Personnel Director.  Prior to that O’Brien coached the Defensive Line for the Central Valley Coyotes of the Arena Football League and was a defensive consultant to various Universities across the country.
 
From 2000 to 2002, O’Brien rose through the ranks of The Montana State Bobcats Football Program.  After serving two years as Defensive Line Coach, he was promoted to Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Coach in 2002 where he coached 3 All Conference Defensive Linemen and 2 All Americans including the Detroit Lions 4^th Round Draft Pick, John Taylor.  The 2002 Bobcats won the Big Sky Conference Championship, making it to the first round of the 2002 Division 1-AA National Championship Series. In 1995, O’Brien coached the Defensive Line for his Alma Mater, Boise State. 
 
As a Player, O’Brien was a 2 Year Letterman at Santa Clara University and in 1991 he was recognized as Defensive Lineman & Defensive Player of the Year.  In 1992, O’Brien was made Team Captain and after the Broncos stopped the program in 1993, he accepted a full scholarship to Boise State.  As a Junior, O’Brien was named a Team Captain for the 1993 Season.   
 
In 1994, O’Brien was voted Team Captain; named Boise State Defensive Lineman & Defensive Player of the Year; was voted Boise State’s Most Inspirational Player; was Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year; named First Team All Big Sky Conference, and was voted Consensus All-American-Defensive Line.
 
In 1995, O’Brien played for the Minnesota Vikings until a back injury ended his NFL Career.  After surgery, O’Brien returned to professional football and played one season for The World League’s Scottish Claymores before returning to the NFL to play for the New Orleans Saints in 1997.  He finished his career with The San Jose Sabercats of The Arena Football League in 1998 and began his Coaching Career in 1999.
 
Joe is married to Gracie O’Brien with three kids Haley (25), Tuff (11), and Emme (8).