Tommy Rees Named Offensive Coordinator, Lance Taylor Run Game Coordinator
After conducting what the university states was an extensive search, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has promoted two offensive assistants: quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees to offensive coordinator and running backs coach Lance Taylor to run game coordinator.
This comes following three-straight 10-win seasons for the Fighting Irish and an 11-2 record in 2019.
“After an extensive national search, I’m proud to name Tom Rees our next offensive coordinator,” said Kelly. “Tom’s ability to connect with our players and staff and accepting and embracing the incredible opportunity in being the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame made him the right choice.
"While Tom’s leadership ability and knowledge of the game was evident, it was his humble approach to his own development and desire to continue to grow and learn that were also key factors that set him apart in a talented pool of candidates.”
Rees has been the Notre Dame quarterbacks coach since 2017 when he started with the program as a graduate assistant. Prior to that, he was an offensive assistant with the San Diego Chargers in 2016 and an offensive graduate assistant at Northwestern in 2015.
He is, of course, also a recording-setting quarterback himself, playing for the Fighting Irish from 2010-14, where he went 23-8 as a starter and threw for 7,670 yards and 61 touchdowns.
Taylor completed his first season as Notre Dame's running back coach in 2019. Most recently, he was the wide receivers coach with the Carolina Panthers from 2017-18, and the running backs coach at Stanford from 2014-16. With the Cardinal, he coached Heisman finalists Bryce Love and Christian McCaffrey.
“Lance’s ability to gain consensus within the staff by implementing a running game plan that fits our personnel and is tactically and technically sound makes him a great fit for this position,” Kelly said.
Taylor played at Alabama from 1999-2003, where he was a special teams captain as a senior.
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