Sickles Coach O’Brien leaves for college job

Posted Jul 12, 2010 by Katherine Smith

Updated Jul 12, 2010 at 09:09 PM

Sickles head football coach Pat O’Brien is stepping down to take a job at Division III school in South Dakota.

Gryphons quarterbacks coach Brian Turner has been named Sickles head coach, O’Brien said.

O’Brien will be the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the start-up football program at Presentation College in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The football program will begin playing a schedule next year.

“This thing kind of happened over the past two weeks,” O’Brien said. “It was a whirlwind, but things just fell into place. I visited the campus a week ago and came away with an offer. I’ve always wanted to be a college coach in a small town, I just never knew it would be South Dakota. But things happen for a reason.”

O’Brien, who helped lead the Gryphons to two playoff appearances during his tenure at Sickles, a first in school history, said the administration has been very supportive, including listening to his recommendation for his replacement - Turner.

““Pat was more than a good coach, he was a man of character,” Turner said. “I want to develop our kids into men of character and I want to continue that trend. I want to carry on what Pat has done the past few years.”