Berj Najarian, Bill Belichick's former "right-hand man," reportedly joining Bill O'Brien's Boston College staff
BOSTON -- With Bill Belichick not landing any NFL job this offseason, his most trusted confidante is moving on with his own career. But Berj Najarian isn't going far.
Najarian "is expected" to become the chief of staff at Boston College, under new head coach Bill O'Brien, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Sources: Boston College is expected to hire Berj Najarian as the chief of staff for the football program. He spent the last 24 years with the New England Patriots, working a majority of that time as the director of football/head coach administration.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 22, 2024
While such a role may lack an exact definition, the firm Prime Chief of Staff notes that "a chief of staff could ensure that a head coach's values and expectations are implemented by staff and athletes while also ensuring that everyone is adhering to the organization's code of conduct and written policies."
Najarian just finished his 24th season working for the Patriots, working as the director of football/head coach administration since 2005. Prior to that, he was the executive administrator to the head coach from 2000-04. Somewhat to Ernie Adams -- another of Belichick's most trusted sidekicks -- the exact duties of Najarian were difficult to pin down during his tenure in New England.
The Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy sought to explore that matter in a 2019 column, describing Najarian as "consigliere to Bill Belichick."
"Najarian handles the logistics of Belichick's workday. He decides who sits where on the team plane. He selects the music for practice. He doles out speaking gigs to assistant coaches if the Patriots are approached by corporations. He prioritizes," Shaughnessy wrote. "He combs through all media coverage of the Patriots (an overwhelming tonnage of digital, ink, and radio/TV noise) and decides what Bill needs to see and hear. He seeks out reporters who he believes have been unfair to his boss or the Patriot Way."
(Najarian also once famously spoke firmly with Barack Obama and expressed his hope that the then-president would acknowledge the Armenian genocide in an official statement.)
Belichick met Najarian when they were both working for the Jets -- Belichick as defensive coordinator, Najarian in the PR department. And when Belichick got the head coaching job in New England, he made sure to bring Najarian with him.
That partnership lasted for the entirety of Belichick's run in Foxboro. That era is now over, but O'Brien -- who's worked for the Patriots for six years in his past -- followed the lead of Belichick by bringing Najarian aboard in Chestnut Hill.