Jim O'Brien

Who is Jim O'Brien?

James J. "Jim" O'Brien is an American college basketball coach who has served as coach of St. Bonaventure University, Boston College, Ohio State University and Emerson College, a Division III school in Boston.

O'Brien was hired as head coach on April 7, 1997 after Ohio State had fired previous coach Randy Ayers. O'Brien guided the Buckeye program to the 1999 Final Four, 2000 and 2002 Big Ten regular-season co-championships, the 2002 Big Ten Tournament Championship, four 20-win seasons and a school record four-consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. On June 8, 2004, then-Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger fired O'Brien for alleged NCAA rules violations. After a trial during which the former Chairman of the NCAA Committee on Infractions testified that O'Brien had not engaged in a violation of NCAA rules, the Ohio Court of Claims determined that Ohio State breached its contract with O'Brien by terminating him and that the school engaged in conduct that was "not consistent with good faith and fair dealing" in terminating Coach O'Brien and awarded him $2.4 million.