Signs and poster boards across the city have been announcing the ACC's arrival in Boston. The sayings on the boards are the product of the marketing mavens. They are meant to build respect in the area and introduce the region to the new conference. The motto on one reads: "There's a new conference in town." In other forms it says: "There's a new team in town." While they are both nice and catchy, the real signage should read: "There's a new Tom in town." Tom being Tom O'Brien, part-time head coach and apparently part-time carpetbagging coach running for office down South.
If the former marine and Naval Academy graduate is indeed making this season a campaign, then he may have lost the opening primary on his home FieldTurf last week, but the rebound came in the battleground state of South Carolina on Saturday afternoon.
The telling moment came with a handshake following the game. It was shortly after the final whistle was blown and right before O'Brien would shake Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden's hand. He was surrounded by South Carolina state troopers as opposing coaches always are in visiting stadiums, but this time was different. If you looked closely, you could see a little hop to O'Brien's step after staying alive, via overtime, in Death Valley.
The hop has been waiting to come out for some time. O'Brien, usually the straight faced and "perfect example of the even keel," as one of the Jefferson Pilot sports commentators said yesterday, has been looking to unleash his smile and give that subtle jump of joy off the grass of an ACC playing field for some time now. It was the end result of two tough years on the ole ball coach's mind, two years of heading into opposing stadiums in the Big East with fans chanting "ACC!" or "carpetbaggers!" They were bitter folk expressing their distaste for Boston College's move, and the man at the center, other than Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo and University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., was O'Brien.
So excuse the one-time assistant at the University of Virginia if he had one of the best times of his life walking out of Death Valley with a win in hand. The coach who looked a little weathered after games last season is now 1-1 in the ACC and 1-0 on the road. No longer does he have to go to sleep wondering when that initial conference win will come. It came Saturday under the hot sun of South Carolina, in a place that the entire ACC can relate to.
He has had bigger wins, taking out a No. 4 ranked Notre Dame a few years back and a highly touted Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. two years ago.
He talked afterward about how this win showed that Yankees can win down South. He said he was elated, and now his team proved that it can win, not just compete, throughout games before losing in the fourth quarter.
The whole Clemson weekend was a coming out party, but O'Brien has been seen as more relaxed in recent weeks and months. July 1 was the birth of BC into the ACC, and, for all intents and purposes, a happier O'Brien. During ACC media days down in Hot Springs, Va., O'Brien could be seen sporting a new style of BC shirts that looked a little more casual and a lot more free flowing. His demeanor was a calm, even cool, some might say. And the attitude was one of a kid that has come home.
He still remembers his Virginia days brightly. Only Bobby Bowden is still around from his first trip through the conference. And now he is at home again. The pitfalls and name calling of last year are over, and there is a new hop in the step. A fresh smile on the face. By the time O'Brien got into the press conference room, the calm demeanor was back. But the hop happened, no doubt. Next up is Ball State at home. The next home game after that? Visitors from O'Brien's old stomping grounds in Charlottesville, Va. will be making the trek.
Saturday was O'Brien's return to the South. In two weeks the old school will see the new Tom.
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