The Browns are interviewing offensive coordinator Tommy Rees on Thursday for the team’s head coach opening.
Rees is one of two candidates who are interviewing on Thursday, as the Browns are also conducting an interview with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
Rees, 33, initially joined the Browns coaching staff as a tight ends/pass game specialist in 2024 before he was hired as offensive coordinator in 2025. Rees took over playcalling for the Browns in Week 10 and called the plays for the remainder of the 2025 season.
In 2024, TE David Njoku finished in the top 10 in receptions and receiving touchdowns among all NFL tight ends. Njoku led the Browns with five receiving touchdowns and finished second on the team with 64 receptions. TE Jordan Akins finished with a career-high 40 receptions, while adding two scores. Five tight ends spent time on the Browns’ active roster and combined for 111 receptions, 953 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024. In the pass game, WR Jerry Jeudy set a franchise record for receptions in a season and finished fifth in team history with 1,229 receiving yards en route to his first career Pro Bowl selection.
Rees previously served as Alabama’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the 2023 season, after spending six seasons as a coach at the University of Notre Dame from 2017-22. He first coached quarterbacks and then became the offensive coordinator in 2020 – a role he held for three seasons. In three years as Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator, the team averaged more than 30 points per game each year and advanced to the College Football Playoffs in 2020 after posting an undefeated regular season.
He began his coaching career as an offensive graduate assistant coach for Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern in 2015. He then spent the 2016 season as an offensive assistant for the San Diego Chargers as quarterback Philip Rivers threw for 4,386 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Rees was a four-year letterwinner at quarterback for Notre Dame from 2010-13, finishing with a 23-8 (.733) record as the starting quarterback. He finished second in Notre Dame history with 61 touchdowns passes and third with 7,351 passing yards.
