The war of words between Boston College coach Bill O’Brien and former Eagles quarterback Tommy Castellanos added another chapter at this week’s ACC Kickoff event, where Castellanos pushed back on claims he quit on his team last season.
Castellanos, now the starter at Florida State, was a two-year starter at BC, but after a three-game losing streak and a slow start against Syracuse on Nov. 11, O’Brien made a change to backup Grayson James. Two days later, Castellanos abruptly left the team.
Asked Wednesday if his confidence was ever rattled by the end of his BC career, Castellanos bristled at narratives that he quit on the team.
“Whatever [O’Brien] said or is out there — ‘he got benched’ or ‘he quit’ — that’s not true,” Castellanos told ESPN. “Only the people in that room know what went down, legally and personally, know the true story.”
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Castellanos has hinted that a disagreement over an injury played a part in the split, but when asked by ESPN to expound on the situation, he declined, instead saying he was focused on winning at Florida State.
“I know what I’m capable of,” he said, “and what I’ve done and what I’m going to do this year with the right team, that’s going to support me and let me be myself and be happy and play and be loose.”
O’Brien rejected the notion that Eagles coaches failed Castellanos, saying the quarterback’s decision to leave last season was entirely his.
“Tommy can think what he wants,” O’Brien told ESPN on Thursday. “We supported the hell out of Tommy. We coached Tommy, we taught Tommy. I wish him the best. We went with Grayson. We told [Castellanos], ‘The team needs you. Come back and compete and win your job back.’ It’s called life — L-I-F-E. Deal with adversity. He’s fine. He’s the starting QB at Florida State. It worked out well. I wish him the best.”
After taking over for Jeff Hafley last season, O’Brien instituted a more pro-style offense that seemed an odd fit for the mobile Castellanos. But O’Brien said the issue that led to the change at QB was simply about taking care of the football.
Castellanos didn’t see it that way, telling reporters earlier this year that he and O’Brien “butted heads.”
“I did so much for that program, and I just wasn’t repaid the right way,” Castellanos said then.
Castellanos landed at Florida State in December, reuniting with Gus Malzahn, who had initially recruited him to UCF before Castellanos transferred to BC. Malzahn resigned at UCF after last season and took the offensive coordinator job at FSU.
After relieving Castellanos, James led BC to a win over the Orange, then won two of the Eagles’ next three games before a bowl loss to Nebraska. BC added Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan, a former four-star recruit, this offseason, and O’Brien said he and James are in an open competition for the starting job.
“I’ll probably name somebody pretty soon, do a scrimmage and we’ll see,” O’Brien said.
Castellanos opens the season at FSU in a marquee matchup against Alabama, and he has offered the Tide ample bulletin-board material. Still, Seminoles coach Mike Norvell said he has been pleased with Castellanos’ leadership and performance thus far.
“I want a football team that is confident in all the things we believe we can do,” Norvell said. “Since the day Tommy got to Tallahassee he’s been all about the work and investment and trying to push himself and his teammates and embrace the challenges.”
