Dawgs By Nature
The Cleveland Browns are only two weeks into the 2025 season and the situation is already dire.
The starting quarterback is still old and immobile. The offensive line is falling apart. The secondary is a mess if cornerback Denzel Ward is not on the field.
It may all be predictable, but that does not make it any easier for everyone involved.
And now there is the possibility, although it is still early, that the Browns could be losing a member of the coaching staff.
On Sunday, UCLA fired head coach DeShaun Foster after an embarrassing loss to New Mexico left the Bruins at 0-3 on the season. In less than two years on the job, Foster posted a 5-10 record.
With the job now open, speculation has started about who the Bruins may contact, with Cleveland offensive coordinator Tommy Rees finding himself on the list.
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman highlights that Rees’ father, Bill, was an assistant coach at UCLA from 1979 to 1994, and that Rees expressed his interest the last time the job was open. Feldman does say that the “timing doesn’t seem right” as Rees is currently busy trying to fix what ails the Browns, but given recent history, that may not be a deterrent. (More on that in a moment.)
ESPN also tapped Rees as a name to watch, highlighting that he has “quickly risen up the coaching ranks” with offensive coordinator roles at Notre Dame and Alabama before coming to the Browns. The site also speculates that Rees will be “leading his own team in the near future.”
Whether or not Rees is still interested in UCLA is unknown, but he was a strong candidate for North Carolina’s job last year before the Tar Heels hired Bill Belichick as their head coach. During that hiring search, Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski allowed Rees to interview twice for the job, so if UCLA comes calling, Rees would likely be allowed to take an interview.
The UCLA job may not be all that attractive to Rees, however, or at least less attractive than the job at North Carolina.
No one in Southern California cares about UCLA football, and the school is far behind its peers when it comes to name, image, and licensing revenue. The school’s athletic department has spent $200 million more than it has brought in over the last five years, and its football ticket sales leave it ranked 15th out of the Big Ten’s 16 public universities, according to The Athletic.
Joining the Big Ten and its media deal, estimated to be around $75 million per year, should help, but football is not the top sport at UCLA, which also presents challenges.
Still, there are only so many head coaching positions available each year, so if the Bruins are interested this time, it may be hard for Rees to pass on the opportunity, no matter how shaky it may be.
This is all speculation at the moment, of course, as Foster’s office chair is...
