Despite the coaching carousel spinning around quite healthily, the Notre Dame football team looks like it's going to go untouched. However, one former Irish offensive coordinator could be leading a Big Ten team. Tommy Rees continues to be the top consensus candidate for the opening at UCLA.
Rees has been mentioned more than once for college openings in the last few years. That even included some talk he might replace Nick Saban at Alabama when the coaching great retired. He surfaced as a possible replacement for Kalen Deboer when the current Crimson Tide coach was under fire after a season-opening loss.
Earlier this week, Vegas oddsmakers once again pegged the former Notre Dame OC as the most likely replacement for DeShaun Foster.
Why former Notre Dame OC Tommy Rees is dominating the UCLA coaching search
Those Vegas oddsmakers show the current Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator with a massive lead over the rest of the field:
- Tommy Rees 2/1
- Tony White 9/2 (+450)
- Bob Chesney 3/2 (+150)
- Kalani Sitake 7/1
- Jerry Neuheisel 8/1
- Jonathan Smith 8/1
Rees is one of the youngest, fastest-rising coaches in all of football. The 33-year-old was born in Los Angeles, and his father, Bill, was a UCLA assistant for nearly 20 years, spanning the late 1970s and early 1990s.
There's an added bonus in that the Browns don't appear to be competing for a postseason bid, so it would be less of a pain if Rees had to leave during the season. Of course, if Cleveland wanted to really be sticklers, UCLA is also not bowl-bound, so it could announce the hire and then make it effective once the Browns' season was over.
Rees's top rival for the UCLA job looks to be Florida State defensive coordinator Tony White. The former Nebraska coach was a top candidate for the UCLA opening when he was still with the Huskers. The Bruins ended up hiring Foster, likely because of his career with the program as a player.
Now the former Notre Dame offensive coordinator might have to see what kind of head coaching mind the Big Ten team wants as it tries to become a contender in its new conference.