Tag: notre dame offensive coordinator

80 days until Notre Dame football returns!

With 80 days remaining before Notre Dame kicks off their 2020 season we look back at a long touchdown from Tommy Rees to TJ Jones.

In 80 days from now we expect to be watching Notre Dame football as they start the season in Annapolis, taking on Navy.  Labor Day weekend remains a ways away but today we look back at a long, go-ahead touchdown from the current Notre Dame offensive play-caller to one of the more underrated play-makers the Irish have had over the last decade.

80:  Yards Tommy Rees and TJ Jones connected for to go-ahead at Pitt in 2013

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpV_vBSRR3s&w=560&h=315]

Unfortunately Notre Dame wouldn’t score again that night and fall 28-21 at Pitt.

As for Jones, he finished his senior season with 70 receptions for 1108 yards and nine touchdown receptions.  He was also credited for nine rushes for 7 yards and two more touchdowns.

Jones has been in the NFL since 2014, spending five seasons with the Lions before joining the Giants in 2019.  Jones has pulled down 67 receptions for 852 yards and five touchdowns in his NFL career to date.

80 days, under 12 weeks.

Let’s go!

Notre Dame Football: Tommy Rees Spoke so we Listened

Here’s my takeaway from the brief discussion, you ready for it?

Tommy Rees isn’t an idiot.

You want good news?  We were full of good news at Fighting Irish Wire on Friday so why not end the day with some more of it?  Let’s do just that.

On a day that saw Notre Dame land a commitment from a defensive end they really like in the 2021 class and The Sporting News giving them the highest pre-season ranking we’ve seen to date, it’s a “good vibes only” type of Friday here.  As long as you can look past Kirk Herbstreit’s outlook on the 2020 season, anyway.

In the “good news” department again however, the “Notre Dame Minute” launched this week with Brian Kelly sharing with us the Fighting Irish’s plan to keep fans updated on all things Notre Dame football despite the fact none of us are allowed within six feet of each other.

In the first episode that followed it was special teams coach Brian Polian hosting and welcomed his guest, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees in a “Notre Dame Minute” that actually lasted over three minutes.

Here’s my takeaway from the brief discussion, you ready for it?

Tommy Rees isn’t an idiot.

I don’t know how many coaches on either side of the ball I’ve seen over the years claim they’re going to have their system and their system only and it’s up to the players to figure out how to fit in.

The struggles Nebraska is going through in their rebuild haven’t been helped by that thinking and if you’re a Chicago Bears fan like myself, that’s only been the case for as long as you’ve probably been watching.

Rees is clear about not trying to make players do something they’re not good at while being well-aware of the importance of developing them into more complete players along the way.

Does it mean anything beyond that he’s a smart guy who knows how to answer a question?  Not at all, but it’s not the stubborness of some coaches we’ve watched at Notre Dame before, either.

You’ll also enjoy Rees discussing being OC at his alma mater and the pressure that comes with that and the benefits he gets from being around this roster previous to being promoted to OC.

Watch the entire 3:15 of the “Notre Dame Minute” here:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QlIrEpwfEE&w=560&h=315]

Oh, and wash those hands.

Notre Dame Football: Kirk Herbstreit Weighs in on Tommy Rees Promotion

Now one of the biggest names in College Football media has weighed in on the Rees promotion as Kirk Herbstreit shared his thoughts on Twitter Monday morning.

Yesterday’s news didn’t come as much of a surprise to Notre Dame football fans but it was news nonetheless as Tommy Rees was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator.

One of the first to endorse the move was Notre Dame legend and two-time All-Pro offensive guard for the Indianpolis Colts, Quenton Nelson, who spoke up the former Fighting Irish quarterback.

Now one of the biggest names in College Football media has weighed in on the Rees promotion as Kirk Herbstreit shared his thoughts on Twitter Monday morning.

Herbstriet says that players will love playing for him, a sentiment that has been echoed by several former Notre Dame players on Twitter over the last 24 hours.

Let’s hope that beyond players loving him, that points are scored with regularity against the toughest opponents in 2020 unlike over the last two seasons.

Notre Dame Football: Harry Hiestand Back on the Market

That I have no idea but I’m for one hopeful that Brian Kelly is at least on the phone already attempting to get Hiestand back as the offensive line unit has been fine since his departure, but far from as dominant as it was under him.

If you start naming the best offensive linemen in the NFL today it won’t take long until a former Notre Dame player gets mentioned.

And then another.

And another.

And a few more after that.

When Harry Hiestand was employed by Notre Dame as their offensive line coach between 2012 and 2017 the Irish put not just good offensive linemen in the NFL but first and second round draft picks on the regular that have panned out.

Here’s just a short list as a refresher:

Zack Martin, Guard, No. 16 overall by Dallas in 2014
Nick Martin, Center, No, 50 overall by Houston in 2016
Mike McGlinchey, Tackle, No. 9 overall by San Francisco in 2018
Quenton Nelson, Guard, No. 6 overall (highest ever for a guard) by Indianapolis in 2018
Ronnie Stanley, Tackle, No. 6 overall by Baltimore in 2016

I think anyone who follows the NFL is familiar with more than a couple of those names for the right reasons.

Notre Dame was a mainstay under Hiestand as one of the best offensive line units in the nation and won the Joe Moore Award for exactly that in 2017.

Hiestand left Notre Dame after the 2017 season to take the same job with the Chicago Bears.

Things did not go according to plan as Hiestand’s offensive line didn’t progress like Bears brass would have liked (Pretty hard to be very good if you don’t invest in it if you ask me but that’s a question for the guys over at Bears Wire) and fired him Tuesday afternoon.

Would Hiestand want to go back to the college ranks again or is he only accepting another NFL job?

That I have no idea but I’m for one hopeful that Brian Kelly is at least on the phone already attempting to get Hiestand back as the offensive line unit has been fine since his departure, but far from as dominant as it was under him.

Also worth noting is that the Bears let offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich go as well.  Helfrich you may recall once helped direct Marcus Mariota to a Heisman Trophy and the Oregon Ducks to a national championship game appearance but was let go after going just 4-8 in 2016.

Dare I start to think aloud and wonder about what Notre Dame’s offense could look like if they hired a couple of recently fired Chicago Bears assistants?

I don’t know how it’d all work out with Helfrich but I’m certain if interested that Hiestand would continue to do exactly what he’s already done at Notre Dame if given the chance.

Something to ponder for you all as we approach 2020.

 

Notre Dame Football: Tommy Rees to Call Plays for Camping World Bowl

We thought we had a pretty good idea as to who would call plays a few weeks ago when Chip Long was removed as Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator and on Thursday, Brian Kelly made things official before practice.

We thought we had a pretty good idea as to who would call plays a few weeks ago when Chip Long was removed as Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator and on Thursday, Brian Kelly made things official before practice.

Former Notre Dame quarterback and current quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees will handle the play-calling duties in Saturday’s Camping World Bowl versus Iowa State.

It’s hardly surprising as his was the first name mentioned the second we found out about the Long news.

Rees was given an interview for the Northwestern O-C opening earlier this month but didn’t make the second round of interviews with Pat Fitzgerald.

Is this an actual audition or is it a “just don’t mess entirely up and the job is yours” type of thing?  I’m curious to know.

What I do know is that earlier today Texas hired Ohio State’s passing game coordinator Matt Yurcich to be their new offensive coordinator.  I know stars make plays but that offense has been pretty much entirely unstoppable all season long, making the transition from Urban Meyer to Ryan Day even smoother than the biggest Ohio State fans in the land could have missed.

This is purely feel and based on nothing I’ve heard but I would be pretty surprised if Rees doesn’t have the O-C title come next August so I’m not walking away today stunned or shocked by any means, I’d be more-so if they did go on a national search for their next O-C like Kelly has said they’re going to do.

Brian Kelly Confirms Chip Long Out as Offensive Coordinator

Kelly said he would not give any further details of why it’s in everyone’s best interest for Long to move on.

Brian Kelly met the media on Saturday ahead of practices resuming in preparation for Iowa State and the Camping World Bowl on December 28.

The story around the Fighting Irish the last week has been in regards to Chip Long and the Offensive Coordinator position. Kelly confirmed the news that has been out for the last week.

Kelly said he would not give any further details of why it’s in everyone’s best interest for Long to move on.

He did seem to indicate the offensive coordinator position won’t simply be handed to Tommy Rees.

Again, I’m not saying Tommy Rees would be bad at the job but how do you know what else may be out there if you don’t look?

That’s the latest on the search for a new offensive coordinator at Notre Dame. Stay with us at FIW as we’ll have coverage on any news that breaks in regards to this story and anything else regarding Notre Dame football.