Notre Dame Announces Surprising Coaching Change

Notre Dame Announces Surprising Coaching Change

Notre Dame announced a surprising coaching change this week.

On the heels of the college football season officially concluding, the Fighting Irish revealed that they have found a new offensive coordinator.

In a statement on Tuesday, head coach Brian Kelly named quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees as Notre Dame’s new lead on the offensive side of the ball.

The move comes on the heels of Kelly dismissing Chip Long, who had previously spent three years with the team.

🏈☘️

Coach Brian Kelly announces the promotion of two rising stars in the coaching profession, Tom Rees and Lance Taylor.

🔗 https://t.co/fFSdGqJ29n#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/Dq4Y31Uv0w

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 14, 2020

“Tom’s ability to connect with our players and staff and accepting and embracing the incredible opportunity in being the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame made him the right choice,” the head coach said.

“While Tom’s leadership ability and knowledge of the game was evident, it was his humble approach to his own development and desire to continue to grow and learn that were also key factors that set him apart in a talented pool of candidates.”

Rees played for Notre Dame from 2010 to 2013. He then went undrafted before being signed by the Washington Redskins in 2014. He was ultimately released one week later and went on to start his coaching career.

Rees began at Northwestern where he spent a year as an offensive graduate assistant. From there he joined the San Diego Chargers as an assistant, before becoming Notre Dame’s quarterbacks coach in 2017.

Under Rees, Notre has gone 33-6 and successfully cycled through a variety of passing options.

It remains to be seen what impact Rees will have on Notre Dame’s offense in his first official year as offensive coordinator.

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