Boston College to hire Mike Bajakian as OC

After losing Scot Loeffler to a head-coaching job in November, Boston College has found its next offensive coordinator.

Sources told Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel that Mike Bajakian, most recently of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is expected to be named Steve Addazio’s new offensive coordinator at BC. Bajakian served as Tampa Bay’s quarterbacks coach for the last four seasons, first under Lovie Smith and then on Dirk Koetter’s staff.

Bajakian was not retained by new Bucs head coach Bruce Arians, so he is making the move back to the college ranks, where he has plenty of experience. Bajakian was the offensive coordinator for Butch Jones at Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Tennessee. Bajakian left UT for the NFL after the 2014 season.

At Boston College, Bajakian inherits a unit that finished 38th in the country in scoring offense (32 points per game) and 67th in total offense (404.3 yards per game). He replaces Loeffler, who landed the head-coaching job at Bowling Green after three seasons on Addazio’s staff. Bajakian, a New Jersey native, also brings key recruiting connections that BC lost following the departure of BC Anthony Campanile to Michigan.

In 2019, the Eagles return star running back A.J. Dillon. Dillon rushed for 1,589 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2017 as a true freshman and followed it up with 1,108 yards and 10 scores in an injury-plagued 2018 campaign. BC also returns starting quarterback Anthony Brown and leading receiver Kobay White.

Bajakian’s hire comes at a critical time for Addazio. The 2018 season had the looks of a potential breakthrough for his program. The Eagles were 7-2 and ranked No. 17 entering a No. 10 home matchup with No. 2 Clemson, but that was the first of three straight losses to close out the regular season.

Boston College was set to play Boise State in the First Responder Bowl, but the game was canceled midway through the first quarter due to weather.

Addazio has won seven games in five of his six seasons in Chestnut Hill. The other season was a 3-9 effort in 2015.

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