Cleveland Browns Promote Former Notre Dame Quarterback to Offensive Coordinator

Rees was previously the offensive coordinator at Alabama during the 2023 season.
Rees was previously the offensive coordinator at Alabama during the 2023 season. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Cleveland Browns are making a change after a brutal season and it will see an internal promotion.

Reports on Tuesday claim the Browns will promote Tommy Rees to become the team's offensive coordinator. The 32-year-old spent the 2024 season as a passing game specialist and tight ends coach in Cleveland and will become one of the youngest coordinators in the NFL.

Rees spent the 2023 season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama but left when Kalen DeBoer took over as head coach of the program. He was Notre Dame's quarterbacks coach from 2017 through 2019 before adding the offensive coordinator title from 2020 through the 2022 campaign.

Ken Dorsey opened the 2024 season as Cleveland's offensive coordinator but he was fired on January 5 after the team struggled to a 3-14 record. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is widely perceived to be on the hot seat heading into the 2024 season.

During his time coaching at Notre Dame, Rees mentored Ian Book who became the school's all-time winningest quarterback. The Irish reached the College Football Playoff twice with Rees as an assistant.

A quarterback at Notre Dame from 2010 through the 2013 season, Rees made 30 starts for the Irish before going undrafted in 2014. He on the Washington Redskins' practice squad for seven days before being released and began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northwestern in 2015.


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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.