Former Alabama offensive coordinator immediately linked to UCLA opening

On Sunday, following an 0-3 start, UCLA decided to make a change. They fired DeShaun Foster, a former Bruins great, just three games into his second season as the head coach. Foster served as UCLA's RBs coach from 2017-2023 and was promoted to replace Chip Kelly in 2024 when Kelly departed Westwood to take the Ohio State OC job.

UCLA's search could be a lengthy one with reports of a potential Athletic Director change on the horizon. It's a tumultuous situation, and who they might be able to attract to take the job is very much in question.

One of the names immediately being linked to the job is former Alabama OC Tommy Rees, according to ESPN. Rees, a former Notre Dame QB, served as the Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator in 2023 during Nick Saban's final season in Tuscaloosa. Alabama went 12-2, winning the SEC Championship, and coming up just short in an overtime loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

Rees spent the 2024 season as the TE coach for the Cleveland Browns before being promoted to offensive coordinator for this season. He's very highly thought of in coaching circles. Nick Saban even advocated for him to get an interview as his replacement when he announced his retirement. Saban thinks highly of Rees, and it's only a matter of time before he's a head coach somewhere.

Rees was born in Los Angeles and has ties to the area. His father was a UCLA assistant for 15 years.

Tommy Rees was an immediate candidate named for a potential Alabama opening

Following Alabama's season-opening loss to Florida State, anyone and everyone was getting their hot boards ready for a potential Kalen DeBoer firing in Tuscaloosa. Much to the dismay of Alabama fans, the leading candidate on the odds markets was Rees:

Rees never got enough credit for the work he did with the Alabama offense in 2023. After a rocky start, he developed a rapport with Jalen Milroe and the Crimson Tide won 11 consecutive games following a Week 2 loss to Texas. They went on to win the SEC by knocking off Georgia.

Milroe regressed last season under DeBoer and OC Nick Sheridan. Rees consistently drew the ire of Tide fans during his one season as the play-caller, but it became obvious after last season that he did a pretty good job.

Rees probably wouldn't be a serious candidate at Alabama with such limited experience, but he could prove to be a home run at a program like UCLA that could use a high-risk, high-reward candidate.