Alabama’s offense got too predictable under Bill O’Brien, so Nick Saban switched things up.
He brings in Tommy Rees from Notre Dame to run the plays and develop the quarterback room.
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Rees, 30, spent six seasons calling plays and molding quarterbacks for the Fighting Irish. He assisted Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff in 2018 and 2020 while getting the most out of the talent he had. Rees’ name is not as marquee as Jeff Lebby’s or Joe Brady’s in the coaching ranks on offense; however, Saban sees Rees as someone that will help Alabama win national championships. Some did not understand the choice of Rees, but former Tide players liked the move from Saban.
Christian Miller, a former Alabama linebacker, explained Tuesday on The Bama Standard why Crimson Tide fans need to support the hire of Rees.
“The reason some people are underwhelmed is that they focus so much on analytics and what they see on paper,” Miller said about people being concerned about the Rees hire. “The fact of the matter is what’s on paper does not matter. It is the result that matters. You have a team like the Brooklyn Nets, they assembled this all-star team and on paper, it looks like the best team ever assembled, but how many rings have they won? Where are they now? It is one of those things where you cannot judge him [Rees] until you give him a fair chance. I like the hire. He is a young guy, he is going to bring that energy, he is going to bring that passion, he’s going to recruit well, and resonate well with his players. If you look at what he has to offer, he loves using two tight-end sets. Alabama is known for keeping its tight ends involved. He is going to emphasize the physical, downhill rushing game.”
Miller called Rees a ‘great fit’ for Alabama.
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“You may look at his rankings or stats, but I don’t think that’s fair,” Miller said. “I went back to watch some Notre Dame tape, and if you look at his playcalling, it is a lot of pre-snap window dressing. This is great to confuse defenses. I feel like there were times when our offense was too predictable last season. We did not have much window dressing. We lined up and people knew what was coming. You could do that in the past if you were dominant up front, but they did not have that level of physicality up front so you can’t be that predictable. This guy loves all types of movement. I am talking about jet sweeps, rocket motions, and condensed formations, this guy does a lot of different stuff. He also likes to run the ball, which fits Alabama. His offenses can stretch you out and throw the football downfield. He does things that are similar to Georgia on offense. They are run-first, heavier personnel, but they can still throw the ball effectively. I think he [Rees] is a really good fit. He may not have the biggest name now, but he will be a hot name on the coaching boards by the time he leaves Tuscaloosa. We will have him for a while because he’s young, but he might prove himself and get an opportunity to be a head coach. If you give him Alabama’s weapons, the sky’s the limit.”
Saban wants fresh energy and ideas, and Rees provides both. It is going to be exciting to watch him develop Alabama’s quarterback and put together an offense to wear down defenses.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
