Tommy Rees begins his first season as Tight Ends with the Cleveland Browns in 2024 after spending 2023 as the Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks coach at the University of Alabama. Rees comes to Tuscaloosa after spending the past three seasons as offensive coordinator at Notre Dame after serving as the quarterbacks coach from 2017-2019. Rees has a sharp eye for player development and had continuous success with Notre Dame’s offense, including helping Ian Book become the winningest quarterback in school history. In 2020, Rees led the Irish to their second appearance in the College Football Playoffs in three years. In 2018, Rees was named the 2018 FootballScoop Quarterbacks Coach of the Year. Before returning to his alma mater, Rees spent one season as an offensive assistant with the San Diego Chargers where he worked with an offense that tied for 7th in the NFL in passing (262.4 ypg), 9th in scoring (25.6 ppg), tied for 12th in yards per play (5.6) and 14th in total offense (356.8 ypg). Rees began his coaching career at Northwestern where he served as an offensive graduate assistant and aided redshirt freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson, who became the first quarterback in school history to lead the Wildcats to 10 wins in his first season as a starter.

During his time as the offensive signal caller, Rees oversaw the growth and development of countless Notre Dame stars including tight end Michael Mayer, running back Kyren Williams, and graduate-transfer quarterback Jack Coan. In Rees’ 2021 offense, Mayer set the Notre Dame single season record for most receptions by a tight end (71). Mayer also holds the Notre Dame single season records in receiving touchdowns by a tight end (9), and receiving yards by a tight end in a single season (840). Running back Kyren Williams rushed for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons under Rees. He is only the fifth running back in Notre Dame history to have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and the first since 2005. Under Rees’ tutelage, Jack Coan had the best season of his career. Coan started the season by setting a school record for most passing yards in a season opener with 366 yards and 4 passing touchdowns against Florida State. In the Fiesta Bowl, Coan threw for a career-high 509 yards while setting the Notre Dame record for passing yards in a bowl game. Coan became one of only two Notre Dame quarterbacks to throw for over 500 yards in a game while also setting single-game school records for completions (38) and attempts (68).

As a player, Rees was as one of the most prolific quarterbacks in Notre Dame history. Rees ranks in the top-five in 21 different single-game, single-season or career passing categories with a career record of 23-8 as the starting quarterback for the Fighting Irish. Rees was named Notre Dame’s Offensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2013 after he threw for 3,257 yards and 27 touchdowns. In 2013, Rees ranked 11th in the FBS in passing yards per completion (14.54), 19th in passing touchdowns (27), 24th in passing yards (3,257), T-35th in point responsibility (162), T-45th in point responsibility/game (12.5) and 30th in passing yards/game (250.5). He holds the No. 2 spot for passing touchdowns and No. 3 spot for passing yards in school history and was only the third signal caller in school history to eclipse 3,000 passing yards in a season.