What Tommy Rees’ hiring means for Alabama, Nick Saban and
7:05 PM ET ESPN personnel On Friday, Alabama used its offending organizer task to Tommy Rees and he
accepted, making him the Crimson Tide’s ninth different OC given that Nick Saban became head coach in 2007. Rees invested the previous three years in the same position at Notre Dame.Rees is replacing former offensive coordinator Costs O’Brien, who left Alabama for the exact same position with the New England Patriots.So what does this mean for both Saban and the Crimson Tide and Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish? Our press reporters break it down.What triggered this move from Alabama?Whether Expense O’Brien left on his own terms or not– ultimately going back to the New England Patriots– Alabama needed to alter offensively after a frustrating 2022 season. The Crimson Tide had actually become too one-dimensional and too reliant on stellar quarterback play to create points. The innovative playcalling under previous OC’s Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin was missing out on. Receivers could not get open and the running game was inconsistent at best, specifically in between the tackles and in short-yardage scenarios. On 3rd and fourth down with 2 yards or less to go, Alabama got an initially down rushing only 60%of the time– which ranked 11th out of 14 SEC teams. The balance that Saban yearns for was missing out on. So were the explosive plays. In spite of dropping back to pass 56.6%of the time– compared to Georgia at 50.3 %– Alabama ranked fourth in the conference in plays of 20 or more backyards.– Alex Scarborough What does this mean for the Tide moving forward?I’m not exactly sure precisely how far the pendulum is preparing to swing back in the direction of a more traditional offense, but I am confident we’ll see a more pro-style technique moving on. Simply take a look at the numbers from last season. With Rees calling plays,
Notre Dame was under center 58 times last season compared to Alabama at 12. Notre Dame also utilized 12 workers– 2 tight ends and one back– on 302 plays compared to Alabama at 166. Lastly, Notre Dame went into a pistol development 129 times compared to Alabama at 84. To put it simply: Expect fewer empty sets and a more standard running game. And with a new quarterback and a deep group of running backs– not to discuss Saban’s proclivity for playing ball control offense– it makes good sense that Alabama’s playbook will look more like 2012 than 2022.– Scarborough What does the hire say about where Saban thinks the program is? Tommy Rees invested the past three years as the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame. Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire Saban might have done practically anything with this hire.
Schematically,
it may have made good sense to pursue a more modern-day run-pass option offense with someone like Oklahoma O.C. Jeff Lebby. Sarkisian had a great deal of success with the RPO at Alabama, and Mike Locksley before him. According to Al.com, Saban talked to previous Mississippi State coach and RPO proponent
Joe Moorhead about the task. However Saban landed on Rees, who has a more pro-style approach compared to a few of his contemporaries. That’s no mishap. Saban is after more balance and ball control. Alabama ranked 80th in time of ownership per play last season. Notre Dame ranked 19th. If Saban is seeking to fix a defense that’s struggled to meet expectations recently, an excellent first step would be fielding an offense that chews up some clock and restricts the opposing group’s ownerships.– Scarborough What were his strengths and weaknesses as an OC at ND? What will he bring to Alabama?In Rees ‘3 seasons as Notre Dame’s offending planner, the Irish balanced 2.75, 2.55 and 2.53 points per drive, respectively. That’s a show of both success (all ranked top 40 in FBS) and consistency, in spite of losing a longtime beginning QB, a bunch of talented O-linemen, and some fantastic ability position players along the method. What does
Rees do well? The first thing to keep in mind may be his adaptability. He’s developed offenses built around Ian Book’s mobility, Kyren Williams and a power run game and Michael Mayer’s dominance at tight end. His best ability, however, might be his intimate understanding of the QB position. As a player at Notre Dame, Rees was under the microscope and handled his share of reaction and frustration from fans and questions from the media. At Alabama, a brand-new QB will be stepping into some very big shoes, and his efficiency will face the same kind of scrutiny. Rees helped develop Book into a star, groomed Tyler Buchner for the beginning task, then rotated to Drew Pyne and got one of the most out of his far various ability, too. His hands-on work and deep understanding of the modern QB makes him well fit to manage what may be the Tide’s most significant difficulty entering 2023.– David M. Hale Where does Notre Dame go from here?Notre Dame won six of its last seven games, consisting of a 45-38 win over No. 19 South Carolina in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl, and can reassert itself in the national photo with the best hire. It’s a vital choice and one that needs to lend itself to stability as the Irish continue to establish the program under Freeman. Something Notre Dame will not do is change its pro-style offending identity, which is driven by its offending line and extraordinary tight ends.The question is if Freeman wishes to promote from within at the expense of experience or look
in other places for a more tested prospect.
Irish tight ends coach Gerad Parker spent 2 years as offending organizer at West Virginia prior to Freeman employed him in 2022, and in 2019 Parker was Penn State’s death game organizer. He’s well-respected within the program, and has training history with Freeman.Washington offending organizer Ryan Grubb would make a strong outside candidate, though he has actually apparently promised loyalty to the Huskies after apparently being Nick Saban’s very first option at Alabama.The acquisition of Wake Forest transfer quarterback
Sam Hartman has developed a buzz, as the veteran has actually tossed for practically 13,000 backyards and 110 goals in five seasons, but Hartman has actually likewise been plagued at times by turnovers( 26 in the past 2 seasons). He’ll compete with Tyler Buchner, who had 5 goals in the bowl win. The next coordinator will need to judge a quarterback competitors at a program that needs an elite passer to elevate the entire group.– Heather Dinich