Tommy Rees - Offensive Coordinator

[Giddyup]

Why would Tommy want to call plays that fit our QBs strengths? That's no way to show you are an offensive genius!

He can hardly complete a pass standing still, throwing on the run isn’t as easy as some people are assuming

 

[ulukinatme]

Not sure I’ve ever seen him complete a big pass on the run

Maybe he can't?

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

Why would Tommy want to call plays that fit our QBs strengths? That's no way to show you are an offensive genius!

Haha, thanks for the chuckle.

 

[WilliamWallace]

Never been more convinced during his tenure that I think Rees has a bright future in football it just won't be coaching QB's and calling plays for Notre Dame. I think Rees is an average recruiter at best. He's an average developer, at best, of an offensive system. But, I think that with talent assembled for him and mostly developed already (benefit of the NFL), he could be very good calling plays in the NFL.

Rees has yet to string together a drive (play by play) worth talking about for me to give him that much credit. He’s currently in an ongoing interview for his future, so for his sake and ours I hope he gets it together.

 

[irishff1014]

It's not ridiculous. That Kelly and Cristobol both offered to make him the highest paid OC in CFB says something, as does Sean McVey's admiration. He's clearly got a good head for the game.

The NFL is more demanding than CFB in some ways, but simpler in others. Rees may be a better fit there.

What ever they see he could really use here.

 

[mrmcgrail]

He can hardly complete a pass standing still, throwing on the run isn’t as easy as some people are assuming

Because getting him out of the pocket cuts the field in half and is usually then just a 2 read pattern also since he is a decent runner it makes whoever is playing the flat to make a choice to come up and play the run or cover the curl to flat

 

[WilliamWallace]

Never been more convinced during his tenure that I think Rees has a bright future in football it just won't be coaching QB's and calling plays for Notre Dame. I think Rees is an average recruiter at best. He's an average developer, at best, of an offensive system. But, I think that with talent assembled for him and mostly developed already (benefit of the NFL), he could be very good calling plays in the NFL.

Upon second thought, you may be right. With a QB he’s not recruited/messed up, a system he just needs to run, with a HC who’s established, yeah he’s probably alright.

 

[NDdomer2]

Yes

Unfortunately our run game is shit making it hard to run a lot of play action.

 

[BilboBaggins]

Yes

The age old cure to man coverage is play action plays. This should be screaming at Rees to have a gameplan full of routes that do well against man coverage.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

It would be nice to see what Rees is capable of if he actually had an o line that could run. At least 4 ypc. Harry is setting up a lot of people to fail.

Did Harry fail him last year in the run game too? Lol
Cold take rookie

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Sampson on the II podcast today said that Buchner had 3 passing attempts this year outside of the pocket. What the hell is Tommy doing?

He's auditioning for the NFL, that's what he's doing

 

[ND4418]

Because he's fast, his legs are a weapon, and it forces defenders to vacate their coverages and go after him. Thus opening up receivers. And if they don't, he could've run for big yardage.

It’s also why he is so injury prone, and has been his entire career.

 

[N_D_Fighting_Irish]

It's not ridiculous. That Kelly and Cristobol both offered to make him the highest paid OC in CFB says something, as does Sean McVey's admiration. He's clearly got a good head for the game.

The NFL is more demanding than CFB in some ways, but simpler in others. Rees may be a better fit there.

Exemplifies the adage it isn't what you know but who you know. Rees is mediocre at best and in a just world would not get a whiff of an interview based on his resume.

 

[arahop]

Tommy leads the offense to 117/120 in scoring and we got guys projecting him as a good O Coordinator in the NFL. For the sake of fuck

 

[NDMatt91]

Tommy leads the offense to 117/120 in scoring and we got guys projecting him as a good O Coordinator in the NFL. For the sake of fuck

If an NFL team is stupid enough to take him off our hands we should celebrate.

 

[NDPhilly]

Agree that I’ve liked a lot of his play calling so far from a very high level scheme POV. The team hasn’t executed plus I don’t think he’s catered it correctly to Buchner’s strengths. Think a guy like CJ Carr would light it up in this scheme assuming a decent OL.

 

[Giddyup]

Did Harry fail him last year in the run game too? Lol
Cold take rookie

No but he’s sure failing him now.

 

[GATTACA!]

Agree that I’ve liked a lot of his play calling so far from a very high level scheme POV. The team hasn’t executed plus I don’t think he’s catered it correctly to Buchner’s strengths. Think a guy like CJ Carr would light it up in this scheme assuming a decent OL.

To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Rees's offensive schemes. The complexity is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of theoretical physics most of the plays will go over a typical fan's head. There's also Tommy's nihilistic outlook, which is deftly woven into his formations- his personnel philosophy draws heavily from Narodnaya Volya literature, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these plays, to realize that they're not just revolutionary- they say something deep about LIFE. As a consequence people who dislike Tommy Rees truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn't appreciate, for instance, the intelligence in Tommy refusal to run screens, which itself is a cryptic reference to Turgenev's Russian epic Fathers and Sons. I'm smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as Tommy Rees's genius wit unfolds itself on their television screens. What fools.. how I pity them. 😂

And yes, by the way, i DO have a Tommy Rees tattoo. And no, you cannot see it. It's for the ladies' eyes only- and even then they have to demonstrate that they're within 5 IQ points of my own (preferably lower) beforehand. Nothin personnel kid 😎

 

[Irishdrunk]

OMG The way some ND insiders lionized Tommy in the off-season is so comical. Like we as fans should be concerned that he would leave for the NFL as some offensive wizard tactician. That Brian Kelly was holding his genius back.!!

The reality is the seasons under performance is attributable in large part to him. Our quarterback room absolutely sucks! Our receiver room sucks.! His playcalling has been atrocious! There is no doubt that Reese is just another one of Brian Kelly’s sycophantic hires with a father and the athletic department to boot!

I wish she left to go work under Mario Cristebal at Miami! The question is whether Freeman will be able to survive in the long term at Notre Dame because he was hitched up to Reese. It ended up being a little bit of the blind leading the blind at least this season.

 

[NDRock]

fed

Yes

I'm a sucker for play action and pre snap motion (usually screaming for more during a game). Thought the 3rd quarter touchdown drive was the best TB looked. Ran several play action passes including one that incorporated a jet sweep action (was the long pass to Mayer). Think we need more of that and much less “empty” sets. Seems like it helps the OL as well as the play action and other misdirection keeps defenses slightly on their heels. Anything to slow them down and help our OL is a must at this point.

 

[Irish#1]

Kedon Slovis and JT Daniels were grad transfers that wanted to be at ND that it is 100% confirmed ND passed on. RJ Snead of Baylor, Matt Landers of Toledo, and Charlie Jones of Iowa were all grad transfer WRs that ND could've gotten, but they passed on 2 and couldn't get the other (Jones).

Do we know if they were actually vetted, met all of the admissions requirements and then we passed?

 

[Irish#1]

I'm the dickhead asking the snowflakes what plays they should be calling and so far I'm not really getting an answer. I'll be honest that after 8 quarters, I couldn't even begin to tell you what plays TR should be calling because if they can't run and they can't pass, the only other option is kick as far as I know. If they can't execute any other plays how will they execute even the simple screens?

Hard to run a RB screen when the D line beats the middle of the O-line consistently. What else you got?

 

[Irish#1]

fed

I'm a sucker for play action and pre snap motion (usually screaming for more during a game). Thought the 3rd quarter touchdown drive was the best TB looked. Ran several play action passes including one that incorporated a jet sweep action (was the long pass to Mayer). Think we need more of that and much less “empty” sets. Seems like it helps the OL as well as the play action and other misdirection keeps defenses slightly on their heels. Anything to slow them down and help our OL is a must at this point.

Excellent point. If the O-line can get shored up, percentages should go up.

 

[tko]

I miss the sprint draw to Darius Walker

 

[Irish#1]

I'm not supporting Tommy, but to think all of it falls on Tommy's play calling is wrong. Complaints would be a lot less if the O-line played like projected.

 

[irishnd31]

I'm not supporting Tommy, but to think all of it falls on Tommy's play calling is wrong. Complaints would be a lot less if the O-line played like projected.

So would the total number of Ls......

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

I'm not supporting Tommy, but to think all of it falls on Tommy's play calling is wrong. Complaints would be a lot less if the O-line played like projected.

But Harry and Chris Watt (Tommy's friend and former roommate) were his top picks. We gave Tommy a "pass" (of sorts) last year under Quinn's line...Now we give him a pass again. with his chosen hire?

With that said, I am more optimistic then most on HH righting this ship. The line was able to "imporve" last year, under Quinn. I think there are still bad habits that need broken. I think it can/will happen. Why are we experiencing back to back years of this slow Oline start? That is the bigger question that needs addressed. The culture has to change, fast. I am tired of players playing anxious/nervous/timid/slow.

 

[Irishdrunk]

I'm not supporting Tommy, but to think all of it falls on Tommy's play calling is wrong. Complaints would be a lot less if the O-line played like projected.

The quality of the OL players is supposed to be BETTER than last year. No Cain Madden. The difference is Kelly left. Kelly for all his faults was not a "players' coach" - he was a screw turner and expected results. Its hard for many fans to grasp but that is likely the difference. We have to assume HH is better than his predecessor but I do think Kelly's experience and demeanor as a HC and his experience and play calling on the Offensive Side of the Ball are the current difference markers from last year to this year. Hopefully this gets changed.

I love MF but he might be too nice for this job. Perhaps Players won't bust through walls for a HC they like but they might for one that is tough on them.

 

[irishff1014]

The quality of the OL players is supposed to be BETTER than last year. No Cain Madden. The difference is Kelly left. Kelly for all his faults was not a "players' coach" - he was a screw turner and expected results. Its hard for many fans to grasp but that is likely the difference. We have to assume HH is better than his predecessor but I do think Kelly's experience and demeanor as a HC and his experience and play calling on the Offensive Side of the Ball are the current difference markers from last year to this year. Hopefully this gets changed.

I love MF but he might be too nice for this job. Perhaps Players won't bust through walls for a HC they like but they might for one that is tough on them.

Madden was a weak spot on the line last year.

 

[Free Manera]

Do we know if they were actually vetted, met all of the admissions requirements and then we passed?

Daniels would have been a graduate transfer so he definitely would have been accepted.