Michigan has interest in Browns OC Tommy Rees for its head coach vacancy, league source says

BEREA, Ohio — Michigan has interest in Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees for its head coach vacancy, a league source tells cleveland.com.

It remains to be seen when Michigan will start interviewing in the wake of firing Sherrone Moore on Wednesday.

But Rees would likely take the interview considering he talked to Penn State about its head coach vacancy last week before it went with Matt Campbell.

Asked Thursday during his weekly media availability about interviewing with Penn State and other potential opportunities, Rees made it clear his No. 1 priority is helping the Browns win the final four games of this season, and helping Shedeur Sanders and the other young players get prepared to play.

“I’m really focused on trying to play good offensive football, get a young quarterback ready to play, support our players,” he said. “Look, some of those things are flattering and you listen as a competitor. But for me, my focus is really, how can we go score enough points to win a game? How can we put our young players, put our quarterback, put our offense in the right position to have success? How to lead our staff? That’s really where my focus is right now.”

The former offensive coordinator at Notre Dame and Alabama, Rees was asked specifically if he’d have interest in the Michigan job.

“I’m going to just keep my focus here right now,” he said.

Hired as Browns tight ends coach in 2024, Rees was promoted to offensive coordinator this season, and took over play-calling from Kevin Stefanski in Week 10 against the Jets.

Last year, Rees was in line for the North Carolina job before it went to Bill Belichick, and is highly thought of in college and NFL coaching circles. He also has a strong advocate in his former Alabama boss, Nick Saban, who’s touted him as one of the brightest offensive minds he’s worked with.

As reported by cleveland.com last week, the Browns think very highly of Rees, and will make every effort to keep him.

“Tommy Rees has been outstanding,” Browns receivers coach Chad O’Shea said last week. “I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of good coaches, but Tommy is just very impressive as an offensive coordinator. He’s very intelligent, he works very well with the staff, he’s a great communicator. And the thing he does best is he’s a tremendous leader.

“Tommy has done just a great job of providing leadership to our offense when it always hasn’t been good. I think that the greatest trait of a leader is how you can lead when times are tough, and he’s just done an outstanding job being in front of the guys on a daily basis of providing leadership. And I know I’ve really enjoyed working with him, and he’s just done a really good job with our offense.”

Browns offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren was equally effusive in his praise of Rees last month.

“Tommy is – he’ll probably be (mad) I say this – but he’s a football savant,“ Bloomgren said. ”Like, I was in my third year coaching in the NFL when I was his age and he is such an old soul with so much football knowledge. The way that he processes information in this game, the way he thinks this game is so next level, you know? Like, I’m amazed by him daily. So, I’ve enjoyed my working relationship with him since February and I’ve learned a ton of football from Tommy.”

Bloomgren said Rees’ mastery of the entire offense is what sets him apart.

“There are so many offensive coordinators in the National Football League that think about the pass game and the pass game only,” he said. “His ability to really process protection and any potential issues, his ability to see things from a run blocking, a leverage standpoint, the creativity he has in the game plan, those are the things that come up meeting to meeting.

“And you know, like, like everybody – I mean, there’s a lot of ways to get to Chicago, right? And a lot of them work. So, we’ve got different histories, and so it’s great to talk through those differences and land on the one that’s right for the (Cleveland) Browns right now.”

If the Browns can help it, Rees will be here for the foreseeable future.

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