Could former Notre Dame football quarterback and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees be about to escape the nonsense that is the Cleveland Browns? Would he want to make that escape if it's to a football program like UCLA? The college football world might be about to find out.
Rees is currently the offensive coordinator for the Browns and is busy watching that offense struggle mightily in its first two games of the year. He's also been an offensive coordinator at Alabama and Notre Dame. And before he was coaching others on how to run an offense, he was the field leader for the Fighting Irish.
Now that UCLA has fired head coach DeShaun Foster, ESPN believes that the former Notre Dame coach and quarterback could be on the short list for the Bruins. Rees is well-regarded enough in the college ranks that he was at least mentioned as a possible replacement for Nick Saban at Alabama before they went big with Kalen DeBoer.
Ex-Notre Dame football coach Tommy Rees on UCLA shortlist?
"He was born in Los Angeles and has ties to the UCLA program through his father, Bill, a Bruins assistant from 1979 to 1994 under Terry Donahue," ESPN wrote. "Tommy Rees has quickly risen up the coaching ranks ... Just 33, Rees was a strong candidate for North Carolina's head-coaching vacancy this past offseason and likely will be leading his own team in the near future."
Other candidates mentioned are Boise State's Spencer Danielson, Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, BYU coach Kalani Sitake, and Florida State defensive coordinator Tony White.
White was a top candidate for the Bruins' job last time they were hiring. It appeared he'd all but packed his bags for California before the school chose Foster.
The real question with any of these candidates is whether they really want to inherit the mess Foster left. Considering the mess Tommy Rees is already dealing with, it doesn't seem out of the question for the former Notre Dame football QB to say "yes, please."