Notre Dame quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees has technically been a full-time assistant for just one season, but it was quite a season for the former Irish quarterback.
Listed as a graduate assistant while coaching the quarterbacks in 2017, Rees became Notre Dame’s 10th full-time assistant coach in 2018 when the NCAA changed the rule to add one more coach to each team’s staff.
In his first full-time season, Rees was named Footballscoop.com’s Quarterbacks Coach of the Year after he helped turn former backup quarterback Ian Book into one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country.
The Lake Forest, Ill. native wasn’t a physically gifted quarterback, but he finished his career as one of Notre Dame’s most productive passing quarterbacks. His success was due mostly to his mental toughness and intelligence. Those traits have served him well in his short stint as a coach.
His success grooming Book this past season has made Rees a name to watch in regards to up-and-coming coaches, and you can be sure that continued success for Rees and the Irish offense will result in teams looking at Rees as a possible offensive coordinator in the somewhat near future.
With that in mind, Rees enters a very critical phase in his early career. He faces an interesting task in 2019, and his success at that task – or tasks – will go a long way towards Rees continuing to make a name for himself as a top young coach.
