University of South Dakota Athletics

Now coaching at Sioux City (Iowa) Heelan High School, O'Brien ranks as one of the great cross country and distance runners ever at South Dakota. O'Brien won a NCC Cross Country title in 1978 in 30:42.0. O'Brien, who claimed four distance NCC titles, won the indoor NCC 800-meter title in 1980 (1:54.65), the now retired 1500-meter run in 1980 in 3:55.20, the NCC 5,000-meter outdoor title in 1979 (14:50.06), and the NCC 10,000-meter outdoor title in 1980 (31:04.04). O'Brien finished fourth nationally in the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Division II nationals in 1979. He received a BSED in 1980 and a master's degree in 1987, both from USD.