Alabama Offensive Coordinator Tommy Rees Named Semifinalist for Broyles Award

Crimson Tide first-year coordinator one of 15 with a chance to be named the assistant coach of the year.
Alabama Offensive Coordinator Tommy Rees Named Semifinalist for Broyles Award
Alabama Offensive Coordinator Tommy Rees Named Semifinalist for Broyles Award /
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With the Alabama Crimson Tide offense continuing to improve and impress on a weekly basis, first-year coordinator Tommy Rees was named one of 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award as national assistant coach of the year.

Over the last four contests, the Crimson Tide has racked up 191 points to average 47.8 points per game. That four-week stretch includes top-25 wins over Tennessee and LSU along with a road victory at Kentucky. That's up from 30.1 points over the first seven games, and 25.8 if you take out the 56-point performance against Middle Tennessee.

A big part of the development has coincided with the rise of redshirt sophomore quarterback Jalen Milroe. Since not starting the Week 3 game at USF, he's averaging 227.3 passing yards per game (1,818 total) while completing 68.1 percent (115-169) of his attempts and accounting for 24 total touchdowns (14 passing). 

Against then-No. 15 Ole Miss, No. 17 Tennessee and No. 13 LSU, he completed 70.8 percent (46-65) of his passes for 664 yards while accounting for seven total touchdowns (three passing, four rushing), and accumulating 850 total yards.

Overall, Milroe has completed 142-of-214 passes for 2,267 yards. He's second in the the SEC and fourth nationally with a 15.96 yards per completion mark while averaging 10.59 yards per pass attempt. His passer efficiency rating 179.0, which is fourth nationally. 

Moreover:

• According to Pro Football Focus, Jalen Milroe is sixth among FBS quarterbacks in offensive grade at 91.2.

• Alabama is 38-for-40 (95.0 percent) on scoring opportunities inside the red zone to rank fourth nationally and second in the SEC. The Crimson Tide has recorded 30 touchdowns, 23 of which have come on the ground and seven through the air, with Will Reichard contributing eight field goals.

• The Crimson Tide ranks third in the SEC and seventh nationally in converting third down conversions, 50.0 percent (70-140). Last season, Alabama was fifth in the SEC and 25th in Division I in 2022, converting 45.7 percent (74-162).

Alabama has had three winners of the Broyles Award, defensive coordinator Kirby Smart in 2009, offensive coordinator Mike Locksley in 2018, and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian in 2020. All three are now head coaches of Power 5 programs. 

Broyles Award Semifinalists

Alabama: Tommy Rees, Offensive Coordinator/QB
Florida State: Adam Fuller, Defensive Coordinator
Georgia: Mike Bobo, Offensive Coordinator/QB
Iowa: Phil Parker, Defensive Coordinator/Secondaries
James Madison: Bryant Haines, Defensive Coordinator/LB
Louisville: Ron English, Defensive Coordinator
LSU: Mike Denbrock, Offensive Coordinator/TE
Michigan: Sherrone Moore, Offensive Coordinator/OL
Missouri: Kevin Peoples, Defensive Line/Edge
Ohio State: Jim Knowles, Defensive Coordinator/LB
Oregon: Will Stein, Offensive Coordinator
Penn State: Manny Diaz, Defensive Coordinator/LB
Texas: Pete Kwiatkowski, Defensive Coordinator/OLB
UCLA: D’Anton Lynn, Defensive Coordinator
Washington: Ryan Grubb, Offensive Coordinator/QB

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Published
Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of BamaCentral, which first published in 2018. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004, and is the author of 26 books including Decade of Dominance, 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Nick Saban vs. College Football, and Bama Dynasty: The Crimson Tide's Road to College Football Immortality. He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.