Tommy Rees - Offensive Coordinator

[Irishdrunk]

What adjustments would you have made?

Freeman was pretty clear in what their game plan was. They wanted to craft their play calling around sustaining clock-churning drives. The play-calling appeared to fit that game plan. There were moments I didn't agree with it, and I felt things go too conservative later when ND was behind, but you also have to submit to the reality that ND is severely limited in their personnel to make adjustments. It's hard to do something different when you lack a consistent big-play threat on the perimeter. I have to hope that over the season, Styles and Lenzy can develop into that. But between the struggles at receiver and the interior OL getting manhandled all game, it made things incredibly difficult for Buchner.

You are ignoring the obvious - not big airing it out plays - that involves secondary risk. But only one screen? REALLY?? No Jet Sweeps? REALLY?? and No Roll-Outs? REALLY?? Not using Tyree in the Slot? Ugh.

OSU put 8 and even sometimes 9 in the box, Rees made no adjustments. None.

The play calling was uninspired and really hurt us. People used to blame Kelly for the offense and I guess we still can because he hired Rees and then promoted him with little to no experience elsewhere.

 

[Dale]

I don't know Dale. Maybe implement some, because we have Matt Fucking Salerno Running Fade Routes as our big play surprise threat. Hey a miracle completion worked one time, let's dial that one up all season long. Hail Tommy

Holy hyperbole.

 

[Dale]

Ryan Day mad adjustments and we didn’t counter to those adjustments

The only adjustment Day made was Miyan Williams was more effective than Henderson and our defense wore down. There was no significant schematic changes.

We played every RB. Our OL did not wear them down.

Once again, lack of points/execution does not equal bad play calls.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

This shit is exhausting.

 

[IrishLax]

Wait Rees had more lucrative offers to go elsewhere? He stayed out of loyalty as to not leave ND in a lurch??

Seems like you are stating that Rees was doing ND a favor by staying???

He passed up ~$2mil/year from Miami and a bunch of other offers.

Tbh I think it’s legitimate to have a lot of gripes about the state of the offense but the one part of the narrative that is weird is that Rees is some charity case//nepotism case and that the perception among professionals/athletes is that he “sucks” and isn’t qualified for this job. Could not be further from reality.

 

[dankgesang]

He passed up ~$2mil/year from Miami and a bunch of other offers.

Tbh I think it’s legitimate to have a lot of gripes about the state of the offense but the one part of the narrative that is weird is that Rees is some charity case//nepotism case and that the perception among professionals/athletes is that he “sucks” and isn’t qualified for this job. Could not be further from reality.

Is it not possible this is just something Tom Loy saw written on the wall in blood during a fever dream?

 

[dankgesang]

And for the record I think the game plan Saturday was probably about as good as it could have been, I just find it so unlikely that Miami, McVay, etc are *this close* to pulling the trigger (for $2 million!) on a callow Kelly-only guy with a lot of plausible deniability/good excuses but who hasn't ever actually put a great offense on the field.

Is it not possible this is just something Tom Loy saw written on the wall in blood during a fever dream?

 

[IrishLax]

Is it not possible this is just something Tom Loy saw written on the wall in blood during a fever dream?

Haha it does seem absurd... but they were throwing around crazy money with the Cristobal hire. Part of him leaving Oregon was a commitment for top coordinator pay. And Cristobal wanted to Tommy. He almost took it too... because $2mil/year as a young guy in Miami sounds great... but ultimately he didn't want to go back on the promises he made to stay at ND for this season.

Now, it could be the most elaborate smokescreen of all time with faked text messages and all kinds of other stuff and complicit beat reporters, but I really doubt it. One of the guys who was first on the news was John Brice of FootballScoop.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Jack Swarbrick signed off on keeping Rees and giving him all this money to stay.

Jack is supposed to be an irreplaceable genius.

Help me connect the dots here. If Rees is truly this inept, why not let him walk with Kelly to LSU in the end?

 

[NDMatt91]

Jack Swarbrick signed off on keeping Rees and giving him all this money to stay.

Jack is supposed to be an irreplaceable genius.

Help me connect the dots here. If Rees is truly this inept, why not let him walk with Kelly to LSU in the end?

That's what I've wondered. People have said that Freeman had no choice and it was Jack's call. I don't know if I buy that because if that's the case does that mean Jack hired Harry and Golden?

 

[Free Manera]

That's what I've wondered. People have said that Freeman had no choice and it was Jack's call. I don't know if I buy that because if that's the case does that mean Jack hired Harry and Golden?

I think it's been confirmed by the beat that Swarbrick secured Rees before finalizing the deal with Freeman. So Freeman truly did not have a choice, the ink was dry already on Rees's deal.

The speculation has always been that if Rees left, then Swarbrick would have waited for Fickell.

 

[NDMatt91]

I think it's been confirmed by the beat that Swarbrick secured Rees before finalizing the deal with Freeman. So Freeman truly did not have a choice, the ink was dry already on Rees's deal.

The speculation has always been that if Rees left, then Swarbrick would have waited for Fickell.

So basically the BK era 2.0? Thankful it worked out with Freeman getting the gig. I'd rather roll the dice on an ace recruiter and hope he's our version of Kirby Smart.

 

[IrishLax]

I think it's been confirmed by the beat that Swarbrick secured Rees before finalizing the deal with Freeman. So Freeman truly did not have a choice, the ink was dry already on Rees's deal.

The speculation has always been that if Rees left, then Swarbrick would have waited for Fickell.

Even more than that, Freeman would NOT have been hired if Rees had left. I don't personally understand it but Jenkins has a super high opinion of Rees and Swarbrick likes him too. What was attractive about keeping Freeman was his potential + continuity but they only wanted to do it if they were 100% confident in the other side of the ball as well and Rees was their dude. If Rees had gone to LSU, I know for a 100% fact that they were going to hit the reset button with an outside hire at HC. I heard this from multiple impeccable sources both during and after the search.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

If Jack liked him so much, why not hire him as HC then?

It all sounds ass backwards to me.

 

[NDRock]

If Jack liked him so much, why not hire him as HC then?

It all sounds ass backwards to me.

Agree. That’s idiocy.

 

[Free Manera]

If Jack liked him so much, why not hire him as HC then?

It all sounds ass backwards to me.

It's batshit crazy lol. I've never heard of hiring a coordinator before the head coach.

 

[TorontoGold]

Even more than that, Freeman would NOT have been hired if Rees had left. I don't personally understand it but Jenkins has a super high opinion of Rees and Swarbrick likes him too. What was attractive about keeping Freeman was his potential + continuity but they only wanted to do it if they were 100% confident in the other side of the ball as well and Rees was their dude. If Rees had gone to LSU, I know for a 100% fact that they were going to hit the reset button with an outside hire at HC. I heard this from multiple impeccable sources both during and after the search.

What kind of odds would you have put on the other candidates? Fickell 70%? Campbell 25%? Move to FCS with Fitzgerald 5%?

 

[NDMatt91]

Agree. That’s idiocy.

Maybe they value people who used to play for ND?

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Maybe they value people who used to play for ND?

They fired Todd Lyght.

 

[IrishSpartan]

Hypothetically if Rees really under performs and Freeman wants to look elsewhere, does he even have that power or would he need permission?

Also I hope that if Rees does not perform well the University doesn’t use the excuse that it’s the first year of a new Head Coach. It’s not like the offense has changed, I think there should be very high expectations on him for the season and if he is not performing to that standard questions need to be asked!

 

[IrishSpartan]

They fired Todd Lyght.

Likely related to his fathers connections right?

 

[Dale]

It’s not like the offense has changed

Coan to Buchner isn’t a change? For better or worse is a debate, but there is certainly a change

 

[IrishLax]

If Jack liked him so much, why not hire him as HC then?

It all sounds ass backwards to me.

It is ass-backwards but basically Kelly forced their hand. He was offering Rees a big coordinator contract to come with him to LSU. Rees was like "I have to take this unless I know I have a job here." Jack zero'd in on promoting Freeman for a lot of reasons but not everyone was sold on that, some of the decision makers wanted a national search. Part of selling that was "continuity" which included retaining Tommy. So it was chicken-vs-egg thing. From a logistical standpoint, it was way easier to "lock in" Tommy in his current role with an improved contract and assurances from Tommy that he was willing to work with Freeman and Freeman was willing to work with Tommy --> and then iron out a HC contract for Freeman.

Btw -- the national search never would've gotten past Fickell and Campbell. One of them would've been the hire, depending on how long ND was willing to wait.

 

[arahop]

Thanks for confirming that you are an ignorant troll.

Mods, arahop here might need a break.

Lol. It's a message board. It's where people go to share their observations and opinions. That's the function of a message board.

 

[stlnd01]

It is ass-backwards but basically Kelly forced their hand. He was offering Rees a big coordinator contract to come with him to LSU. Rees was like "I have to take this unless I know I have a job here." Jack zero'd in on promoting Freeman for a lot of reasons but not everyone was sold on that, some of the decision makers wanted a national search. Part of selling that was "continuity" which included retaining Tommy. So it was chicken-vs-egg thing. From a logistical standpoint, it was way easier to "lock in" Tommy in his current role with an improved contract and assurances from Tommy that he was willing to work with Freeman and Freeman was willing to work with Tommy --> and then iron out a HC contract for Freeman.

This all makes sense. Projecting continuity and culture was the whole ballgame in that moment and this was the sequence of events needed to make that happen, given all the moving pieces.

Also I really really doubt Rees was “forced on” Freeman. They’d worked together for a year by then. They knew each other well. If it was going to be a problem, it would have been a problem. It was not.

 

[arahop]

Hypothetically if Rees really under performs and Freeman wants to look elsewhere, does he even have that power or would he need permission?

Also I hope that if Rees does not perform well the University doesn’t use the excuse that it’s the first year of a new Head Coach. It’s not like the offense has changed, I think there should be very high expectations on him for the season and if he is not performing to that standard questions need to be asked!

This is what I'm wondering. All will be well when we play inferior opponents but come big game time. We will be where we always have offensively. I hope Tommy figures it out but I won't put stock in it.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Damn we are learning so much here. Does anyone know what bourbon Rees was drinking as he was mulling over the contract offer from Jack?

 

[Free Manera]

It is ass-backwards but basically Kelly forced their hand. He was offering Rees a big coordinator contract to come with him to LSU. Rees was like "I have to take this unless I know I have a job here." Jack zero'd in on promoting Freeman for a lot of reasons but not everyone was sold on that, some of the decision makers wanted a national search. Part of selling that was "continuity" which included retaining Tommy. So it was chicken-vs-egg thing. From a logistical standpoint, it was way easier to "lock in" Tommy in his current role with an improved contract and assurances from Tommy that he was willing to work with Freeman and Freeman was willing to work with Tommy --> and then iron out a HC contract for Freeman.

Btw -- the national search never would've gotten past Fickell and Campbell. One of them would've been the hire, depending on how long ND was willing to wait.

I remember reading on one of the paid sites at the time that ND had reached out to Fickell just to test the water and he said he wouldn't make any moves until after the playoff game. If that was not his response, i.e. he would pull a Cincy Brian Kelly move, I wonder what would have happened.

 

[goldendomer89]

The excuses have to end for this guy at some point. Either the offense and QB play to take a significant jump the rest of the season or he has to go.

 

[bobbyok1]

Thanks for confirming that you are an ignorant troll.

Mods, arahop here might need a break.