Alabama has hired Notre Dame’s Tommy Rees as their next offensive coordinator. According to the South Bend Tribune, Rees will leave his current position as offensive coordinator at Notre Dame Fighting Irish to join Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama.
Rees has informed Notre Dame that he will accept the job at Alabama.
Rees played quarterback at Notre Dame from 2010-2013 and later joined the coaching staff as a quarterbacks coach in 2017. Since 2020, Rees has served as the offensive coordinator. The Irish went 31-8 during that span, with appearances in the 2020 College Football Playoff and 2021 Fiesta Bowl. Notre Dame lost both bowl games.
Sources: Notre Dame OC Tommy Rees has accepted the Alabama offensive coordinator job.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 3, 2023
Rees Takes Over For Bill O’Brien
At Alabama, Rees will replace Bill O’Brien, who left the Crimson Tide to become the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots. O’Brien was previously an assistant for the Patriots from 2007-2011 before leaving to become the head coach of Penn State.
The offensive coordinating position at Alabama has been a stepping stone for many coaches. From 2014-2016, Lane Kiffen served as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator, winning the National Championship in 2015. Kiffin is now the head coach of Ole Miss.
In 2017, Brian Daboll was the offensive coordinator of an Alabama team that won the National Championship. Daboll joined the Buffalo Bills as the offensive coordinator before leading the New York Giants to the playoffs as their head coach this past season.
Mike Locksley and Steve Sarkisian were both offensive coordinators in the years following Daboll’s departure. Locksley is now the head coach at Maryland, and Sarkisian is the head coach at Texas.
Marcus Freeman Must Find A New Replacement
Irish head coach Marcus Freeman will have to replace Rees as offensive coordinator. In his first season as head coach, Freeman went 9-4, with standout wins over Syracuse and Clemson in the regular season. Freeman capped off a successful first season with a win in the Gator Bowl over South Carolina.
Expectations will be high at Notre Dame in the coming years as the Irish rank 10th in the 2023 Team Recruiting Rankings, according to 24/7Sports.
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