A little less than 20 years ago, a young Tommy Rees spent his summer folding towels, shagging kicks from K Phil Dawson or catching for the quarterbacks as an equipment staffer for the Browns, earning his first paycheck.
"I think my mom still has it somewhere, actually," Rees said in June after returning to the Browns organization to serve as the team's pass game specialist and tight end's coach.
Now, he's back on the same field, but in a much different role as the pass game specialist and tight ends coach for the Browns.
"I think a big part of when I was growing to love the game of football was watching Browns games because my dad was obviously here through some of those formative years for me," Rees said. "So, that's always been something that was kind of held close to. My brother was a big part of it, he was here working, he was a little bit older than I was. For our family, it comes full circle a little bit, which is pretty neat."
Football runs in the Rees family. Dinnertime discussions often focused on player evaluation, as Rees's father held several NFL front office positions – including a four-year stint as the Browns director of player personnel.
After starring as a quarterback in high school, Rees went to the University of Notre Dame, where he was thrust into his first significant action as a freshman after starter Dayne Crist went down with an injury.
Rees took the Fighting Irish to a Sun Bowl victory over Miami as a freshman, upsetting No. 15 Utah and Southern California on the way to a promising first season under center. In his sophomore campaign, Rees threw 14 interceptions and Notre Dame finished with five losses. After losing his starting spot his junior year, Rees won back first-string duties as a senior – finishing with 27 touchdowns and leading Notre Dame to a 9-4 record.
"I think you build a certain callous towards some of that stuff," Rees said of the twists and turns of his college career. "We talk about toughness and being mentally tough [...] you need to have that to be convicted in what you're doing. And, I think a lot of those experiences have shaped where I want to continue to grow and continue to go in this line of work."
Rees took his first coaching job in 2015, working for one season as an offensive graduate assistant at Northwestern. After one year in San Diego, where he worked as a Chargers offensive assistant, Rees returned to Notre Dame working as the quarterbacks coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator – leading the Fighting Irish to a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance.
In 2023, Rees worked under Nick Saban as Alabama's offensive coordinator, an experience Rees raved in the wake of the legendary coach's retirement announcement.
"I wouldn't trade it for anything," Rees said. "I learned so much, I grew a lot being in that environment every day, learning from the greatest coach to do it."
One of the most important lessons Saban taught Rees was the need to be a great teacher as a coach.
"You can be the smartest guy in the room, you can be a great X's and O's guy, but if you're not a great teacher and it doesn't translate to your players, then really what good is it?" Rees said.
Rees and Saban still keep in contact. After Alabama hired Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer to fill the shoes left by Saban, Rees was looking for a new opportunity. Rees said he consulted with Saban after he began the interview process with Cleveland.
Rees now joins another group of excellent coaches in Cleveland, including former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who has worked closely with the tight ends as the Browns coaching and personnel consultant.
"A lot of respect for really what he's been able to provide from an overall offensive perspective," Vrabel said of Rees. "I think quarterbacks have a unique way of doing that and seeing things from protection and from the route concepts to the run game. Quarterbacks have always had a great grasp of that, and he's carried that through as a tight ends coach."
Leading the Browns tight ends group is David Njoku, who was named to his first Pro Bowl roster in 2023s after a dominant season, racking up 882 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Njoku is a strong route runner, creating the 10th-longest average separation among tight ends last season, according to Next Gen Stats. However, where Njoku truly excels is his ability to break tackles and drive through contact. The eight-year veteran averaged 7.6 yards after contact per reception, second-most among tight ends.
"This offense has the opportunity to put him in multiple positions and really show his full range and skillset," Rees said. "We've been challenging him on that, and he's been very receptive to that. So, we're really pleased where Dave's at and how he's progressed within the offense."
The 2024 edition of the Browns offense will look different than last season, with the introduction of Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator. Rees said he has admired the partnership between Dorsey and head coach Kevin Stefanski, who will remain the offensive play caller.
"Two really bright minds, obviously," Rees said. "Seeing them work together and have cohesion and what they want the offense to look like and feel like and the constant communication between the two of them and then down to the staff. So, it's really been a great partnership, and I expect it to continue to be that way moving forward."
. As a former quarterback and experienced offensive coordinator at the college level, Rees is able to contextualize what the Browns are trying to do holistically to the tight ends. His unique perspective made him an attractive candidate for Stefanski when Rees hit the job market.
Stefanski said he met Rees through a mutual friend a few years ago, and when he became a "free agent," the Browns worked to bring him to Cleveland. Now here as a member of the coaching staff – and on the sideline for the first preseason game against the Packers – Rees has displayed early what he can contribute to the Browns offense.
"It's good to have him at this level, I think he provides a ton of input to our offensive staff and is doing a nice job with the tight ends," Stefanski said.
