The Alabama Crimson Tide have hired Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees for the same position, sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Friday (February 3).
Rees, a former starting quarterback for the Irish, is reported to have officially accepted the offensive coordinator position at Alabama on Friday and informed his alma mater of his decision. The 30-year-old is widely considered to be one of college football's top young offensive coaches, having initially been hired by former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly -- who began his tenure during Rees' first season as a player -- as a quarterbacks coach in 2017 before adding offensive coordinator duties in 2020.
The Irish went 31-8 during Rees' three seasons as offensive coordinator, which included a College Football Playoff berth in 2020, as well as a Fiesta Bowl appearance following the 2021 season. The former quarterback also elected to stay at his alma mater following Kelly's departure to Notre Dame and the promotion of former defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman last offseason.
Rees will replace former Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, who recently accepted the same position with the New England Patriots, having previously worked as a member of Bill Belichick's staff before later serving as a head coach for both the Penn State Nittany Lions and Houston Texans.