ATLANTA -- The folks in the Georgia Tech athletic department apparently have a thing for head coaches whose surname begins with an "O" and an apostrophe.

Boston College coach Tom O'Brien has moved to the forefront of candidates to fill the vacancy created by the Sunday departure of George O'Leary to Notre Dame, and has already met formally with Yellow Jackets athletic director Dave Braine.

O'Brien, 53, led the Eagles to a 7-4 mark this season and a berth in the Dec. 28 Music City Bowl, where his team ironically will face the University of Georgia. In five seasons at the school, he has compiled a 30-27 record. During the Notre Dame search for a successor to Bob Davie, he was named early on as a potential candidate, but never interviewed for the Irish job.

It is believed that O'Brien met with Braine on Wednesday at a site away from campus. Braine has been on the road for two days interviewing candidates, and it is uncertain when he will return to Atlanta, although he is expected back by week's end.

School sources said that when Braine does return, it will likely be to recommend a coach to the six-man search committee announced on Tuesday evening. The committee, sources said, almost certainly will endorse his recommendation.

ESPN.com learned that Braine also has met with Maryland offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe and with New York Giants assistant coach Jimmy Robinson, a former standout wide receiver for the Yellow Jackets. Braine has sought the counsel of his close friend and former associate Frank Beamer, the head coach at Virginia Tech, who has said he is not interested in the job.

Other potential candidates include a pair of defensive coordinators, Bud Foster of Virginia Tech and Charlie Strong of South Carolina, Central Florida head coach Mike Kruczek and Hawaii head coach June Jones. One source claimed late on Wednesday, though, that Braine was "thoroughly impressed" with O'Brien, who apparently has not yet been offered the job.

A Cincinnati native and 1971 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, the highly regarded O'Brien began his coaching career at his alma mater in 1975 and stayed until 1981. He moved to the University of Virginia in 1982 and was a part of George Welsh's staff in various capacities until accepting the Boston College post in 1997.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.