Before spring practice starts for Alabama football, we dive into a new series here at Touchdown Alabama Magazine.
The staff will grade the performances of all on-field coaches, including Nick Saban, for this season. We will dissect grades for leadership, player responsiveness, and overall impact for each coach. The series will lead us into spring action for the Tide.
Tommy Rees will now be evaluated as an offensive coordinator.
Tommy Rees
-Years at Alabama: 0 years, just hired and the first season is next fall
–Record at Alabama: 0-0
–Previous coaching stop: Notre Dame (offensive coordinator)
–Offensive philosophy: 12-personnel, power running game, play-action pass, balance, and creativity
Leadership
Tommy Rees’ leadership at Notre Dame was excellent, especially when he did not have a lot of marquee talent to produce on offense. His attention to detail, play-calling understanding, ability to develop quarterbacks, and ability to create ways for players to succeed guided the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff in the 2018 and 2020 seasons. Notre Dame did not execute his play designs consistently in 2022; however, Rees’ knowledge to alter looks allowed the Irish to finish at 9-4. The Irish had 40+ point games and seven matchups where it totaled over 30 points. Rees paced Notre Dame to 31.8 points per contest last year.
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His ability to build off his players’ strengths allowed Rees to have three running backs with over 100 rushing attempts and five receiving options to catch 20 or more passes. He is excited about bringing his style to the Crimson Tide and pushing greatness from each player.
Grade: A
Players Responsiveness
Players responded by going beyond their recruiting ranking for Tommy Rees in his six seasons (2017-22) at Notre Dame.
He commanded excellence from his quarterbacks, and Brandon Wimbush, Ian Book, Jack Coan, and Drew Pyne answered him with reaching their potential. Wimbush was known for his athleticism, but Rees coached him in 2017 to a strong touchdown-to-interception ratio (16-6). He finished the 2017 season with 30 total touchdowns (14 rushing touchdowns). Book, a former three-star recruit, got coached hard, but he responded to Rees by getting Notre Dame’s offense to the CFP in 2018 and 2020.
Coan encountered a different situation as he transferred from Indiana in 2021.
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Rees barked at him, but Coan never went into a hole. He had his best year as a quarterback under Rees, totaling 3,150 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns. Pyne recorded 22 touchdown passes to six interceptions last year. Rees molded Kyren Williams into a two-time 1,000-yard running back in 2020 and 2021. Seventeen players caught 20 or more passes in Rees’ three years (2020-22) as an offensive play-caller. The players at Notre Dame respected Rees a lot, and he got the most out of the talent.
Alabama’s offense should enjoy Rees running the show.
Grade: A
Overall Impact
Rees’ overall impact at Notre Dame was strong, especially last season.
He motivated Drew Pyne to a good year, provided the Irish with a balanced attack, and Notre Dame had a formidable passing game that the opposition had to respect. He is 30 years old, but Rees has a no-nonsense mentality. He will call players out, demand excellence, and show fierce competitiveness to others on the staff. Rees will be good for Coach Saban at Alabama because he will bounce ideas off of Saban. He is also young enough that the Tide won’t have to worry about him getting poached from other schools early. Rees’ impact was felt at Notre Dame; however, it may continue hugely at Alabama.
Grade: A
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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.
