Notre Dame OC Tommy Rees leaving to take same job at Alabama
Tommy Rees is departing his alma mater after six years on its football coaching staff, the last three as Notre Dame offensive coordinator. And he’s headed for the SEC.
Alabama is hiring Rees as its offensive coordinator, according to a report from Mike Berardino of The South Bend Tribune. On3’s Matt Zenitz confirmed the report. Rees was in Tuscaloosa Thursday for an in-person interview with Nick Saban. According to a report from FootballScoop, that meeting followed a video chat conversation between Rees and Saban Wednesday.
Rees, 30, has been Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator since January 2020. The Irish finished the 2022 season 45th in yards per play (5.92) and tied for 41st in scoring offense (31.8 points per game). They were 43rd and 34th in yards per play in 2021 and 2020, respectively. They ranked 19th in points per game in 2021 and 30th in 2020.
All told, Notre Dame has had four starting quarterbacks in Rees’ three years as offensive coordinator: Ian Book in 2020, Jack Coan in 2021 and Tyler Buchner (three starts) and Drew Pyne (10 starts) in 2022. Book operated the Rees offense that finished the highest in yards per play and in the Fremeau Efficiency Index. Notre Dame was 17th in the FEI in 2020, 20th in 2021 and 39th this past season.
The 2023 offense, though, had the on-paper look of Notre Dame’s best under Rees, even with All-American tight end Michael Mayer headed to the NFL.
The Irish added Wake Forest transfer quarterback Sam Hartman, who has 45 career starts and set the ACC’s all-time record for passing touchdowns (110). They return a pair of junior-to-be tackles in Joe Alt and Blake Fisher, as well as three running backs who had at least 100 carries in 2022. Alt earned a spot on all five NCAA-recognized All-America teams, including first-team honors from the Associated Press. Notre Dame also brought in Virginia Tech grad transfer receiver Kaleb Smith (673 yards, 18.2 yards per catch in 2022), signed four freshmen and returned the four combined members of its sophomore and junior classes.
Rees joined Notre Dame’s staff as quarterbacks coach following the 2016 season. He held that job for three years before he was elevated to offensive coordinator and play caller following a de facto audition for the job in the 2019 Camping World Bowl. He remained the quarterbacks coach in that role. He turned down an offer to follow Brian Kelly to LSU in November 2021 to remain at Notre Dame. Miami was also reportedly interested in him for its offensive coordinator opening last offseason.
At Alabama, Rees is replacing Bill O’Brien, who left to become the New England Patriots’ offensive coordinator after two seasons with the Crimson Tide. Saban reportedly made a run at Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb before turning his attention to Rees, but Grubb decided to stay put.
Rees was the lone offensive assistant from Kelly’s final season at Notre Dame to remain on staff for Marcus Freeman’s first year. His exit represents the first change to Notre Dame’s roster of 10 on-field assistant coaches since the end of the regular season.
Rees played quarterback for Notre Dame from 2010-13. He threw for 7,670 yards, 61 touchdowns and 37 interceptions in his career. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northwestern in 2015 and spent 2016 as an offensive analyst with the then-San Diego Chargers before coming to Notre Dame.
