Tommy Rees - Offensive Coordinator

[Irishman77]

I hope he turns out to be the next Lincoln Riley.

Don’t he have one of those Sean McVay work ethics?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RV-p51fvYLc

 

[stlnd01]

I think he means internally rather than off the shelf. If an internal hire turns out to be good then you probably get to say you are a coordinator whisperer.

Fair. I do think it’s interesting that BK went outside - in a major and for him largely unprecedented way - for his coordinators in ‘16. Then stayed inside when he needed to replace them. And while those outside hires were successful, so far I think you could argue Lea has been more successful than Elko was. I guess we’ll see on Rees.

 

[ThePiombino]

Fair. I do think it’s interesting that BK went outside - in a major and for him largely unprecedented way - for his coordinators in ‘16. Then stayed inside when he needed to replace them. And while those outside hires were successful, so far I think you could argue Lea has been more successful than Elko was. I guess we’ll see on Rees.

BK had a lot less rope in 2016 given the circumstances. He's built a bit of a cache of trust since then, deservedly so. That said, I would hardly consider Lea a traditional internal promotion.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Riddickulous]

He's going to kill it and all the haters are wrong. I will die on this hill.

 

[sharksamardzija8345]

I’m with gkirish. Gunna root like hell for him to prove me wrong and make me eat crow, but I don’t like this hire and see this as too soon and an overreaction for calling an excellent game against an awful Iowa State team in a pointless bowl game. But I’m so happy to be wrong.

 

[BobbyMac]

This will be a great hire becauseTyler Buchner is SOOO good that BK & Tommy cannot possibly regress him. I will die on this hill.

Fixed

 

[ulukinatme]

Copied this from my post in the OC thread, should have just written this here:

I really don't understand how people could not like this hire. For one, OCs don't stay at ND long, they tend to either flame out or get a better job roughly a year or two on the job. If he's successful he'll get better offers, if he tanks he's going to get heat fast and get ousted. If the end of the season was any indication, he's going to do well.

Rees is a student of the game, that was always his best asset. He's helped turn Book into one of the most efficient and successful QBs in ND's history, an incredible winning record. Tommy is an ND guy with an ND degree, he knows the program better than any other candidate and what it takes to be in South Bend. He's got thicker skin than most, he endured boos and death threats during his playing days and it didn't matter. He's a players coach that the kids get behind. No other candidate would know the BK offense better. I can't imagine a better fit among possible hires.

You may think there are coaches that would have brought a more prolific offense to South Bend, and maybe you're right, or maybe that coach turns out to be another Long that rubs the players the wrong way or he doesn't fit at Notre Dame. This hire just makes sense. If you still have an axe to grind with Rees because he was a three star player that played for our team and managed to beat out other players that didn't live up to their potential, you have some issues.

 

[ulukinatme]

https://www.espn.com/college-footba...ish-promote-tom-rees-27-offensive-coordinator

Notre Dame has promoted quarterbacks coach Tom Rees to offensive coordinator, the school announced Tuesday afternoon.

Rees, who set records as the team's starting quarterback for parts of four seasons from 2010 to 2013, replaces Chip Long, who was dismissed by coach Brian Kelly in December after three seasons on staff.

Kelly said he came to the decision to promote Rees after an "extensive national search."

"Tom's ability to connect with our players and staff and accepting and embracing the incredible opportunity in being the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame made him the right choice," Kelly said in a statement released by the university on Tuesday. "While Tom's leadership ability and knowledge of the game was evident, it was his humble approach to his own development and desire to continue to grow and learn that were also key factors that set him apart in a talented pool of candidates."

Rees, who served as a graduate assistant at Northwestern and an offensive assistant with the San Diego Chargers before rejoining the program, had been Notre Dame's quarterbacks coach the past three seasons.

After Long was let go, Rees was put in charge of calling plays during the team's bowl game against Iowa State, which Notre Dame won 33-9.

Rees will continue to work closely with starting quarterback Ian Book, who announced on Dec. 30 that he would be returning for his senior season rather than entering the NFL draft.

Book, who is 20-3 since taking over as starter in 2018, threw for 3,034 yards, 34 touchdowns and six interceptions this past season.

It was also announced that running backs coach Lance Taylor was promoted and will serve as the team's run-game coordinator.

Taylor, whose previous stops include wide receivers coach with the Carolina Panthers and running backs coach with Stanford, will have to retool the backfield without starting running back Tony Jones Jr., who announced on Dec. 31 that he would be forgoing his senior season to enter the draft.

Kelly, who has compiled a 71-36 record in 10 seasons leading the program, has yet to name a tight ends coach, as Long also oversaw that position.

Notre Dame, a projected top-15 team, will kick off next season in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29 against Navy.

 

[Circa]

At least we finally have an OC that's in the booth.

Any OC that coaches from the sidelines is a fraud.

<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/7SOdwNYHzCI7ygrLw7" width="480" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/billions-season-4-episode-1-showtime-7SOdwNYHzCI7ygrLw7"

Brian was the OC/HC at Cincinnati and his previous stops and stood on the sideline. Everyone always complains that we can't do what he did before he got here...
I don't know If I understand your reasoning behind this.
How do you know this as a fact or are ya trying to stir the pot?

 

[Free Manera]

Copied this from my post in the OC thread, should have just written this here:

I really don't understand how people could not like this hire. For one, OCs don't stay at ND long, they tend to either flame out or get a better job roughly a year or two on the job. If he's successful he'll get better offers, if he tanks he's going to get heat fast and get ousted. If the end of the season was any indication, he's going to do well.

Rees is a student of the game, that was always his best asset. He's helped turn Book into one of the most efficient and successful QBs in ND's history, an incredible winning record. Tommy is an ND guy with an ND degree, he knows the program better than any other candidate and what it takes to be in South Bend. He's got thicker skin than most, he endured boos and death threats during his playing days and it didn't matter. He's a players coach that the kids get behind. No other candidate would know the BK offense better. I can't imagine a better fit among possible hires.

You may think there are coaches that would have brought a more prolific offense to South Bend, and maybe you're right, or maybe that coach turns out to be another Long that rubs the players the wrong way or he doesn't fit at Notre Dame. This hire just makes sense. If you still have an axe to grind with Rees because he was a three star player that played for our team and managed to beat out other players that didn't live up to their potential, you have some issues.

I don’t like it if ND failed to do everything in its power to get Moorhead. Rees could’ve learned a lot in two years with him, then taken over in 21 or 22. Players and coaches loved Moorhead everywhere he has been. He’s not Long. He could’ve been a hell of a mentor. If he couldn’t be lured in, then fine. This was always the fallback option and I’m alright with that.

Also, Tommy is not Lea. Lea had several more years of experience, in several more locations, with several more coaches. For Tommy this will be learning on the job and that scares me. (Please prove me wrong and make Venables look bad next year. )

 

[PANDFAN]

How can young coaches who could possibly bring some new creativity and design unless given the opportunity... This job isn't based on physical abilities but the guy is heralded as a players coach, can relate to a younger generation which could help with recruiting.. I'm for it and I like the dynamic between him and BK
__________________

 

[arrowryan]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Couldn’t be happier or more proud of <a href="https://twitter.com/T_Rees11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@T_Rees11</a> for being promoted to offensive coordinator <a href="https://twitter.com/NDFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NDFootball</a>. Think they got the right man for the job! G’Irish! <a href="https://t.co/5ejpLgg5GW">pic.twitter.com/5ejpLgg5GW</a></p>— Zack Martin (@thegob70) <a href="https://twitter.com/thegob70/status/1217253841823027200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[GrangerIrish24]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Couldn’t be happier or more proud of <a href="https://twitter.com/T_Rees11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@T_Rees11</a> for being promoted to offensive coordinator <a href="https://twitter.com/NDFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NDFootball</a>. Think they got the right man for the job! G’Irish! <a href="https://t.co/5ejpLgg5GW">pic.twitter.com/5ejpLgg5GW</a></p>— Zack Martin (@thegob70) <a href="https://twitter.com/thegob70/status/1217253841823027200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

2 NFL all pros have spoken. Good enough for me

 

[Luckylucci]

I’m with gkirish. Gunna root like hell for him to prove me wrong and make me eat crow, but I don’t like this hire and see this as too soon and an overreaction for calling an excellent game against an awful Iowa State team in a pointless bowl game. But I’m so happy to be wrong.

You lose me when you call ISU an awful team, given the advanced stats for their defense going into the game.

 

[N_D_Fighting_Irish]

By hiring Rees, Kelly has the ultimate fall guy. If Rees does well, Kelly will claim the credit for the hire and his “system”. If he does poorly, then it was Rees’ inexperience. Can’t blame Kelly for giving Rees a shot.

Next year, Rees will be training on the job. He will be given the benefit of the doubt because of some high percent of the offense has graduated/moved on.

I find the Joe Brady narrative of a guru coming and magically making a team better so simple minded. What made LSU’s offense so successful was the combination of personnel and scheme. Joe Brady’s offense scheme would not yield the same results with our personnel nor with majority of other college football team’s personnel.

If Rees follows Kelly’s belief that scheme trumps personnel, then be prepared for the same grab bag approach. We will look like world beaters against weak opponents and inept against quality. Same old shit. My hope is Rees will be different. The problem with my hope is that Rees has only been exposed to Kelly’s system. He doesn’t know of another approach or at least lacks first hand experience coaching/playing in another system.

 

[Armyirish47]

I like the hire full stop....BUT ALSO NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!


We still have an opening for an offensive position coach and while I give this hire a solid A right now, if we bring in a grizzled, recruiting trail working, seasoned offensive mind to play ping pong with the future pro bowlers in the TE room (and mentor a young OC) I think we can bump this up into an A+. You don't just hire a coach...you hire a staff.

Boom.

 

[Rack Em]

I didn't really care who Kelly hired because I don't see any offensive coordinator in college football that will fix Kelly's issues with preparing a team for big games. I'm not talking about Va Tech on the road at night, I'm talking about getting run out of the stadium against Michigan or Clemson or Miami.

Nick Saban runs through OC's like it's no big deal and Bama barely skips a beat. Why? Because Saban knows how to manage a team and recruits coaches to his system. Kelly has lacked a consistent offensive identity and rarely has the team prepared for big road games at night. He needs to establish what his offense will look like and find an OC that fits the mold. But the bigger issue, which no OC can overcome for him, is not shitting the bed.

 

[Cali_domer]

I didn't really care who Kelly hired because I don't see any offensive coordinator in college football that will fix Kelly's issues with preparing a team for big games. I'm not talking about Va Tech on the road at night, I'm talking about getting run out of the stadium against Michigan or Clemson or Miami.

Nick Saban runs through OC's like it's no big deal and Bama barely skips a beat. Why? Because Saban knows how to manage a team and recruits coaches to his system. Kelly has lacked a consistent offensive identity and rarely has the team prepared for big road games at night. He needs to establish what his offense will look like and find an OC that fits the mold. But the bigger issue, which no OC can overcome for him, is not shitting the bed.

Really that is the biggest under lying issue.

 

[condoms SUCk]

Ok Kelly, you got the guy you wanted.

Good luck Coach Rees.

 

[OCIrish]

I don't post nearly as much as I used to, and I've been on a little bit more lately with the coaching moves and what not.....some of you will remember that I was not always the biggest Tommy Rees fan while he was the QB at ND. That being said, I never felt Tommy was a bad QB, I just didn't think he had the talent to play the position at a high level. He comes from a football family, and he knows his shit......I don't think I need to question his or CBK decision making.....I think he's gonna be alright, and he may even be better than people are gonna expect of him.

Kind of really excited about the hire!!

 

[Circa]

I don't post nearly as much as I used to, and I've been on a little bit more lately with the coaching moves and what not.....some of you will remember that I was not always the biggest Tommy Rees fan while he was the QB at ND. That being said, I never felt Tommy was a bad QB, I just didn't think he had the talent to play the position at a high level. He comes from a football family, and he knows his shit......I don't think I need to question his or CBK decision making.....I think he's gonna be alright, and he may even be better than people are gonna expect of him.

Kind of really excited about the hire!!

I remember... But I don't matter much. It's always cool to see the older guys come back and want to be apart of the positive.

 

[pumpdog20]

Rees has been proving the doubters wrong since he's been at ND. Confident he'll continue to do so, while getting BK his statue!

LFG

 

[Ndaccountant]

Fair. I do think it’s interesting that BK went outside - in a major and for him largely unprecedented way - for his coordinators in ‘16. Then stayed inside when he needed to replace them. And while those outside hires were successful, so far I think you could argue Lea has been more successful than Elko was. I guess we’ll see on Rees.

I am in the "prove it to me" camp and am one that is not thrilled with this.

A couple of my own thoughts and then I will drop it:

1) Comparing Lea to Rees seems okay on the surface, as both are/were first time coordinators and offer "continuity". But IMO, that last part of continuity is where I have my concern. Whoever's system was in the place the last few years (Long or Kelly) doesn't matter, but I think more is needed than just a "tweak" to what is in place to get ND to the next level. Sure, the offense works great when ND has had the talent advantage. When talent is more equal or slightly behind, it's been a struggle and tweaks will not fix that IMO.

2) I am more excited about Lance Taylor's promotion than Tommy's. The diversity of run games that he has seen throughout his career will be fun to see implemented (hopefully).

3) If BK really did go aggressively for the other bigger names, it would be interesting to know why they were either not selected or turned it down. Money? Control? Contract stipulations? Seems strange that some of these guys (especially those without a job) would say no.

4) I am sure that Lance and Tommy will be compensated nicely, but I hope that this means more $$'s in the assistant pool are opened up to give Lea a boost to top 5 money (assuming he isn't there now) and to hire a big name DB coach. Lea > than any OC as far as I am concerned.

5) Youth is neither good nor bad, but inexperience can be problematic. I hope I am wrong about this, but I am setting the over/under on BK blaming inexperience for offensive problems during post game conferences at 3.

6) I am really interested to see what they do with the extra coach that was presumably opened up here.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

I called this day coming, years ago.
Never thought it'd be this quick.
But I'm down.

He's an ND man, likable, and by all accounts a football savant.

I'll go for the Clark Lea esque promotion. I'll roll the dice on lightning striking twice.

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[FightingIrishLover7]

Imo The Lea hire was/is the best hire that Kelly has made.

Technically, I'll say the Elko higher was "better" because we went from BVG to Elko, and acquired Lea in the process.

That moment was huge.

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[ulukinatme]

Aside from the game(s) he was calling plays at the end of this season, Tommy has 4 games to adjust before we face the Wisconsin Badgers in Green Bay on Oct 3rd. After that, depending on which Stanford team shows up next season, it will be some additional easy games till Clemson at the beginning of November. Hopefully the Tigers will free their asses off in South Bend.

 

[GATTACA!]

Ehh we'll see. I wouldn't be surprised with impressive returns or a complete flop. However if our alternative was really Todd Monken I'll take Reese all day long.

 

[spoonidentity]

Good luck to him. I think he will be good in his job. I don't understand the hand wringing I have seen on other boards about him only ever having known BK's system. Coaches are plenty capable of learning different concepts and systems without working for 5 years in different places. Most coaches move around out of necessity - unpaid positions to paid positions to higher paying positions to NFL opportunities to relocating after the head coach is fired. They don't do it out of some quixotic desire to learn as much as they can from different people.

Tommy is smart and he's driven. I'd bet that he has gone to the lengths needed to learn different concepts and systems. Just because he played the BK offense and worked under the Long offense doesn't mean he didn't pick up RPO spread concepts or learn how to break down what Ohio State does with a power run and spread system. As long as he's described as smart and motivated we will all be ok. I think his in game adjustments will be similar to his playing days and adapt quite well to defensive looks.

 

[IrishFanJMercy]

On a recruiting standpoint do you think recruits would relate better with Rees or an old guy like Moorehead? I’m taking Rees

 

[Irish#1]

How can young coaches who could possibly bring some new creativity and design unless given the opportunity... This job isn't based on physical abilities but the guy is heralded as a players coach, can relate to a younger generation which could help with recruiting.. I'm for it and I like the dynamic between him and BK
__________________

I think some are subconsciously equating Tommy's playing ability with his coaching ability. He won a lot of games with his mind, not his arm.

By hiring Rees, Kelly has the ultimate fall guy. If Rees does well, Kelly will claim the credit for the hire and his “system”. If he does poorly, then it was Rees’ inexperience. Can’t blame Kelly for giving Rees a shot.

Next year, Rees will be training on the job. He will be given the benefit of the doubt because of some high percent of the offense has graduated/moved on.

I find the Joe Brady narrative of a guru coming and magically making a team better so simple minded. What made LSU’s offense so successful was the combination of personnel and scheme. Joe Brady’s offense scheme would not yield the same results with our personnel nor with majority of other college football team’s personnel.

If Rees follows Kelly’s belief that scheme trumps personnel, then be prepared for the same grab bag approach. We will look like world beaters against weak opponents and inept against quality. Same old shit. My hope is Rees will be different. The problem with my hope is that Rees has only been exposed to Kelly’s system. He doesn’t know of another approach or at least lacks first hand experience coaching/playing in another system.

He already trained with the Chargers and Northwestern. He has experience with offenses. The only thing he doesn't have much experience in is play calling, but it looked pretty good against ISU.

I didn't really care who Kelly hired because I don't see any offensive coordinator in college football that will fix Kelly's issues with preparing a team for big games. I'm not talking about Va Tech on the road at night, I'm talking about getting run out of the stadium against Michigan or Clemson or Miami.

Nick Saban runs through OC's like it's no big deal and Bama barely skips a beat. Why? Because Saban knows how to manage a team and recruits coaches to his system. Kelly has lacked a consistent offensive identity and rarely has the team prepared for big road games at night. He needs to establish what his offense will look like and find an OC that fits the mold. But the bigger issue, which no OC can overcome for him, is not shitting the bed.

Really that is the biggest under lying issue.

Is this the Kelly thread?

Continuity is critical to success and this promotion brings continuity. There are plenty of examples of experienced guys failing as much as young guys. There are also plenty of examples of experienced and young guys succeeding. Hiring an experienced guy is not a guarantee of success. The key is hiring the right guy. TR checks all the boxes except for a lot of experience calling plays.

I am curious if BK offered the job to Moorhead or if he didn't and the reason he didn't get hired.

I'm all in. Let's go Tommy.