O’Brien is the lone Maryland coach to earn national honors from NFHS, which has annually recognized coaches through its award program for more than three decades. National coaches of the year are selected in 24 high school athletic pursuits.
“Coach O’Brien is so deserving of this national recognition,” said Kevin Kendro, FCPS Supervisor of Athletics and Extracurricular Activities. “He selflessly provides opportunities for students to succeed – not just at Tuscarora but throughout Frederick County.”
At Tuscarora High, O’Brien is a physical education teacher and unified sports coach. All 10 FCPS high schools offer unified sports – tennis in the fall, bocce in the winter, and track and field in the spring. Teams have students with and without disabilities competing alongside each other as teammates.
O’Brien led Tuscarora to back-to-back state championships in unified bocce and a state championship in unified track and field. At Tuscarora, O’Brien has also served as assistant athletic director, department chair, head baseball coach, and girls flag football coach.
In the community, O’Brien has served as a youth manager and coach for East Frederick Little League Baseball and the Frederick Youth Football League.
Last winter, O’Brien led a team of Tuscarora High student athletes to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the Special Olympics and allied sports. As part of that trip, they met with several elected officials.
In 2023, Tuscarora High earned national banner recognition as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School as a result of meeting national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy and respect. The success of the unified sports programs contributed to this national banner recognition.
In the fall, O’Brien was one of five FCPS coaches to be named a NFHS state Coach of the Year. He was joined by Urbana High’s CJ Ecalono (girls cross country and track and field) and Gavin Donohue (boys lacrosse), and Linganore High’s Amy Rumburg (cheerleading).