Tag: OC

Steelers interviewing Texans QB coach for OC vacancy

The Steelers are interviewing Jerrod Johnson.

According to NFL reporter Tom Pelissero, the Pittsburgh Steelers are interviewing Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson for their offensive coordinator vacancy.

Johnson gained a ton of notoriety in 2023 for the work he did with Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud was the best rookie quarterback in the league in 2023 and one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

2023 was Johnson’s only season as the Texans quarterbacks coach and he has fast-tracked his NFL career thanks to his knowledge and ability to maximize and develop talent.

Johnson played in the NFL for eight seasons after going undrafted out of Texas A&M. The Steelers are focusing their attention on replacing Matt Canada with a new offensive coordinator who can innovate and get the Steelers quarterback position on track.

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Cleveland Browns expected to hire former Alabama OC Tommy Rees

With major coaching changes, Tommy Rees will no longer be the Alabama OC. Now, he’s working toward a deal with the Cleveland Browns.

When Nick Saban retired, it set off a chain of events that resulted in significant roster changes and moves within the coaching staff. A significant difference is in the offensive coordinator position. Tommy Rees is out of Tuscaloosa and is now expected to be hired by the Cleveland Browns.

The news, being first reported by The Athletic’s Zac Jackson, is that Rees is expected to be hired as Cleveland’s new tight ends coach and play a role in the offense’s passing game. A contract and title, however, have not yet been made official as they are reportedly still working toward a deal.

Rees only spent one season with the Crimson Tide, having been hired off of Notre Dame‘s coaching staff, where he also served as the Fighting Irish’s offensive play-caller. It was an interesting move, as Rees is only 31 years old and had played quarterback at Notre Dame.

New Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer chose to bring with him Ryan Grubb, who was Washington’s offensive coordinator under DeBoer.

Just recently, Rees had reportedly interviewed for the Crimson Tide head coaching job and was considered to be a “wild card candidate” for the position.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to cover Alabama football as the 2024 offseason progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

REPORT: Alabama OC Tommy Rees being considered for head coach position

Tommy Rees (31) is being considered a “wild card” candidate who is being considered for the Alabama head coaching job.

At just 31-years-old, Tommy Rees has a rather impressive resumé. The offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide can add “head coach candidate” to it, as he is being considered for the vacancy created by Nick Saban’s decision to retire.

After being the quarterback for Notre Dame, Rees found his way back onto the field as a coach. It did not take long for him to become the Fighting Irish’s offensive coordinator and, in 2023, served in the same role under Nick Saban at Alabama.

Nick Kelly of The Tuscaloosa News reports that Rees is being considered as a “wild card” candidate along with other high-profile targets including Florida State head coach Mike Norvell and Washington.

Kelly’s report was corroborated by ESPN college football reporter Adam Rittenberg, who named the same three in a recent report.

It’s not likely or expected that Rees would be handed the keys to the Crimson Tide, but it is interesting that he, at such a young age, is even being considered

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama head coaching search.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Notre Dame booster calls OC debacle ‘A very bad look’

This was Chicago Bears-like and not in the form of the ’85 squad.

If you know anything about the University of Notre Dame beyond the football program, you’re certainly familiar with the college of business. Let me correct myself: The Mendoza College of Business.

As you’re aware, you don’t get your name on an elite university’s college of business for winning a raffle. You obviously have to donate a substantial amount of money to get such a thing.

Meet Tom Mendoza, a Notre Dame graduate and the former president and vice chairman of Net App. Under his direction, Net App was named the top place to work by Fortune Magazine’s 2009 rankings of the best places to work.

You can follow Mendoza on Twitter, and you should if you’re a Notre Dame fan. He keeps a close eye on the athletic program and other university happenings. Like the rest of us paying attention, Mendoza clearly wasn’t impressed with what went down as Notre Dame fumbled the potential Andy Ludwig hiring.

Notre Dame possibly nearing making another offensive coordinator offer

Is Marcus Freeman going to spend his Friday night making a formal job offer?

The week-long journey to find Notre Dame’s next offensive coordinator may be drawing to an end. After Marcus Freeman and the Irish were turned down by Kansas State offensive coordinator Collin Klein, an offer to another finalist may soon be made.

Heather Dinich of ESPN, who broke the news that Klein was taking his name out of the running, reported early Friday evening that Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig may soon be next up. According to Dinich, Ludwig is expected on campus tonight and an offer may follow quickly.

Ludwig easily has the most experience of any candidate Notre Dame has reportedly been in contact with. Most recently he has helped lead Utah to consecutive Pac-12 titles and Rose Bowl appearances.

Find out much more about Ludwig, including which former No. 1 NFL draft pick he helped develop, by reading his candidate profile we put together earlier in the week.

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Notre Dame offensive coordinator candidate: Andy Ludwig

Easily the most experienced coach of Notre Dame’s reported OC candidates, Ludwig currently calls Utah’s offense.

Notre Dame has a vacancy at offensive coordinator after Tommy Rees took the same position on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff in early February. Where will Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame turn for their new offensive coordinator?

Here at Fighting Irish Wire we’ll be giving you a bio and career summary of some of the coaches that emerge as candidates. We’re also making an effort for some guest contributors who have either followed or covered each potential candidate’s coaching careers.

The most experienced of the known candidates is Utah coach Andy Ludwig. He has more than 30 years of college football coaching experience — some great and some not so hot.

Why is Ludwig a legit candidate and what does he offer as a specialty? Our fourth installment of this offensive coordinator examination looks at Ludwig. Here is what you need to know about the current Utah offensive coordinator.

Will Sam Hartman follow Tommy Rees to Alabama?

I heart Hartman?

There is no doubt that a large part of the reason graduate quarterback Sam Hartman transferred to Notre Dame was to play in Tommy Rees’ offense.  What Notre Dame has run under Rees operates far more like NFL offenses than what Wake Forest does.

With Rees leaving Notre Dame for Alabama to run the Crimson Tide offense, one college football analyst wondered if Hartman would follow the former Fighting Irish quarterback to Tuscaloosa.  R.J Young of Fox Sports put out the following in the wake of Rees officially departing.

“There’s nothing to stop Tommy Rees from bringing Sam Hartman with him to Tuscaloosa.” – R.J. Young

So what are the chances Hartman is headed to the SEC next?

Based off what Hartman put on Twitter shortly after the Rees news was reported, it seems like a safe bet that the record-holding former Wake Forest quarterback is staying in South Bend. Check it out below.

It would appear Notre Dame has nothing to worry about with Hartman for 2023. Onward!

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College Football Fans react to Alabama hiring Tommy Rees as OC

Alabama hired Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees to serve as the Crimson Tides’ next OC and fans have mixed reactions

After two seasons with Bill O’Brien as the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide, Nick Saban was forced to search for a new offensive play caller. With O’Brien returning to the New England Patriots, the vacancy for Alabama didn’t last long.

Notre Dame‘s offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has been hired to replace O’Brien and run the Tide’s offense.

Alabama fans have become accustomed to big-name hires, so high-profile coaches like Kliff Kingsbury, Jeff Lebby and others were on their radar. Rees, though coming from a major program like Notre Dame, wasn’t a name that came to mind for many.

Here’s what Alabama fans and college football enthusiasts from across the country had to say about this hire.

BREAKING: Tommy Rees leaving Notre Dame for Alabama

Now what does Notre Dame do?

A day after reports surfaced that Nick Saban was zeroing in on Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees to fill the OC roll at Alabama, Rees has reportedly accepted the offer.

According to Mike Berardino of Notre Dame Insider:

BREAKING: Tommy Rees has accepted the offensive coordinator position@AlabamaFTBL, per person with direct knowledge. #NDFootball players have been informed. #NotreDame

Rees leaves Notre Dame after calling plays since the 2019 season’s conclusion in the Camping World Bowl.  There were highs and lows during his time at Notre Dame but what he did with a clearly limited quarterback in 2022 along with a lack of talent and depth at wide receiver is hard to argue against.

The question now turns to where does Notre Dame go in hiring his replacement and how will it impact the significant improvement Rees has recruited to Notre Dame’s quarterback room?
Much more on this story in the hours and days to come.
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Bill O’Brien hired as New England Patriots OC, will leave Alabama

Bill O’Brien will no longer be Alabama’s offensive coordinator, as he is leaving to take the same job for the New England Patriots.

Bill O’Brien’s two-year tenure as the Crimson Tide offensive coordinator has come to an end. ESPN reports O’Brien and the New England Patriots have reached an agreement on his being the team’s offensive coordinator in 2023.

This is a homecoming for the Massachusetts native, not only because he is from New England, but because this is a job he held once before.

From 2007-2011, O’Brien worked in various offensive coaching roles for the Patriots before becoming the offensive coordinator for one season in 2011. He left that position to become the head coach at Penn State.

His time at Alabama under Nick Saban came with plenty of scrutiny. Despite the team reaching the national championship in 2021 and Bryce Young becoming the program’s first Heisman-winning quarterback, some fans were not content with his play-calling abilities.

Now, the former Houston Texans head coach has found his way back into the NFL, which appeared to be the long-term plan for the offensive-minded coach.

Alabama now has its defensive and offensive coordinator positions vacant.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football throughout the offseason as the search for new coordinators for the 2023 season begins.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.

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