Sportsnaut
The Penn State Nittany Lions recently interviewed several candidates before hiring head coach Matt Campbell away from Iowa State. One even came from the NFL’s Cleveland Browns.
According to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport, current Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees sat down for a virtual interview for the Penn State vacancy. Rees has been the Browns’ OC for just one season, replacing the previously fired Ken Dorsey.
Rees has even been handling Cleveland’s offensive play-calling since Week 10. The former Notre Dame QB went undrafted in 2014 and only spent time with the Washington Commanders during the preseason. While his playing career didn’t advance the way he would have liked, Rees is viewed as a potential rising star among the coaching ranks.
Just 33 years old, Rees spent his first two seasons in coaching as a graduate assistant, first with Northwestern, then in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers. He then found a home as the Notre Dame QB coach from 2017-19.
By 2020, the Fighting Irish promoted Rees to offensive coordinator while also retaining QB coach duties through 2022. He then spent one season in Alabama in the same roles.
In 2024, Rees went back to the NFL, landing with the Browns as their pass game specialist and tight ends coach before becoming Cleveland’s offensive coordinator before the 2025 season began. Surely, there will be other rungs on the ladder that Rees will inevitably climb, but apparently, coaching Penn State wasn’t in the cards this time around.
Related: Are Cleveland Browns Prepping Deshaun Watson to Play?
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